Shea, Green, and Smith

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Pearson LongmanPoliticalScienceInteractive

• Shea, Green, and Smith
• Living Democracy, Second Edition
• Chapter 13
• Interest Groups

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Small groups

• Form an Interest Group
• What issue(s) will you promote?
• How will you attract and retain members?
• Set it in motion
• What kind of legislation / executive order /
  judicial decisions do you want to see passed? Be
  specific.
• What strategies and tactics will you use to get
  the help of the government? Think of our
  discussion of lobbying techniques
• Keep it going
• How will you ensure the continued success of the
  group?

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Functions of Interest Groups in a Democratic
Society
Interest Group An organized group with a
defined membership that seeks to influence public
policy
Five functions of interest groups in the United
States

• Represent constituents
• Provide means of political participation
• Educate the public
• Agenda building
• Serving as government watchdogs

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Kinds of Organized Interests

• Can be defined by goals
• Public Interest Groups
• Economic Interest Groups
• Public Sector Interest Groups / Governmental
  Units
• Foreign Policy Interest Groups
• Think Tanks
• Can be divided by level of focus
• Multi-Issue Groups
• Single Issue Groups
• Political Action Committees

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The Roots Development of American Interest
Groups

• National groups emerge (1830-1889)
• Single-issue Christian groups - Temperance,
  Peace, Education, Slavery
• After Civil War, business interests ex Central
  Pacific Railroad
• The Progressive Era (1890-1920)
• Small groups of reformers reform working
  conditions, poverty, etc.
• Organized Labor fight for the rights of workers
• AFL 1886
• Business Groups and Trade Associations defend
  employers
• NAM National Association of Manufacturers -
  1895
• Trade Associations a group that represents a
  specific industry
• The Public Interest Group Era (1960s 1980s)

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Labor Unions

• With large memberships, Unions emerged as
  powerful players early in 20th century
• 1913 U.S. government establishes Dept of Labor
  to protect rights of workers.
• 1914 Clayton Antitrust Act legalizes nonviolent
  strikes and boycotts.
• 1935 Wagner Act (aka National Labor Relations
  Act) affirms right of workers to unionize,
  requires employers to participate in collective
  bargaining.
• 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act sets minimum wage
  and 44 hour work week.
• 1949 Amendment to Fair Labor Standards Act of
  1938 outlaws child labor.
• More recently labor has lost some clout
• Decrease in membership
• Erosion of worker protection laws, increase in
  right-to-work states
• Breakup of AFL-CIO

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Big Business

• Most large corporations
• Have own governmental affairs department
• Employ D.C.-based lobbyists
• Gave substantial soft money in the past
• Still use PACS, 527s, and thus contribute a great
  deal of money

PACs That Gave the Most to Federal Candidates,
20002004 (Millions of Dollars)
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The Rise of the Public Interest Groups

• 1960s and 1970s saw a reappearance of the
  Progressive spirit
• Civil Rights
• Womens Rights
• Elderly
• Poor
• Consumers
• Environment
• Common Cause and Ralph Naders Public Citizen

• Conservative Response Religious and Ideological
  Groups
• Jerry Falwell and the Moral Majority
• Pat Robertson, 700 Club and Christian Coalition
• National Rifle Association

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The Interest Group Explosion

• Why has there been such a large growth in
  interest groups over the last 40 years?

Number of national-level interest group
organizations in the United States

• 1959 5,843
• 1970 10,308
• 1980 14,726
• Mid-1990s 22,200

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Major Organized Interest Groups
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Difficulties in Mobilization

• Mancur Olson, The Logic of Collective Action
  (1971)
• Free-rider problem
• Cost of group formation
• Lack of a sense of political efficacy

Overcoming Organizational Barriers

• Strong Leaders / Entrepreneurs
• Require membership
• Material benefits
• Solidary benefits
• Purposive benefits

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Interest Group Lobbying Tactics
Inside Lobbying Openly appealing to public
officials in the legislature and executive
branches. Involves gaining access to an
insider in the lawmaking process.
Outside Lobbying Appealing directly to the
public in order to influence officials. 90
percent of interest groups engage in this type of
lobbying.
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Tactics Outside Lobbying
Grassroots Mobilization The identification,
recruitment, and mobilization of
constituent-based political strength capable of
influencing political decisions.

• Newer Tactics
• Advertorials
• Advertising
• Sponsored television shows
• Blogs
• Email campaigns
• Use of Internet to organize

• Traditional Tactics
• Direct contact
• Direct mail
• Events and activities
• Mass demonstrations
• Boycotts
• Litigation

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Tactics Inside Lobbying - Congress

• Members of Congress targets of lobbyists
• Many lobbyists ARE former members
• Lobbyists work closely with those members who
  share their interests
• Lobbyist effectiveness depends on a reputation
  for accurate information
• Attempts to Regulate Lobbying in Congress
• Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act, 1946
• Register and file financial reports
• Lobbying Disclosure Act, 1995
• Employs a strict definition of lobbyist (20
  rule)
• Requires lobbyists to
• Register with clerk of House and secretary of
  Senate
• Report clients, issues and agency or house they
  lobbied
• Estimate amount they are paid by each client
• Makes it easier for watchdog groups to track the
  lobbying activity

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Lobbying the Executive Branch

• President and Staff
• Personal contacts work best
• Or, deal with the Office of Public Liaison
• Executive agencies
• Involved in rule-making, public comment period
• Involved in implementation stages.
• May use lawsuits if necessary
• Groups often monitor implementation of laws or
  policies they advocated.

Strong link between interest groups and
regulatory agencies Concerns about revolving
door
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Lobbying the Courts

• Can take two forms
• Direct sponsorship
• Filing amicus curiae briefs informs court of
  groups policy preferences, generally in guise of
  legal arguments
• Interest groups also attempt to influence who is
  nominated and placed on the bench.

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Tactics Electioneering

• Candidate recruitment and endorsements
• Getting out the vote
• Rating the candidates or office holders
• Political action committees
• Campaign contributions
• In Texas, access comes with contributions of
  1000 for State Senators, 250 for State
  Representatives.

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The Importance of Money in Mobilization

• Uses of Money
• Money is needed to recruit members, hire
  staff, rent offices, pay overhead, and raise
  additional funds.
• Groups with large resources often have an
  advantage.
• Fundraising Tactics
• Dues from members, direct mailings, direct
  contact, personal appeals, Internet
  fundraising, and sale of goods and services

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The Roots of Interest Groups in Texas

• Interest groups developed slowly in Texas.
• Personality was the dominant force in electoral
  politics.
• Most influential interest groups in 19th century
  represented agrarian interests
• The Grange
• Agrarian interests were supplanted by oil and gas
  interests.
• As Texas economy and society became more complex
  after WWII, varied interests proliferated

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Interest Groups in Texas

• Types of interest groups
• Businesses (TAB) and Trade Associations (TADA)
• Professional Associations (TCCTA)
• Labor Groups (AFT, AFSCME)
• Racial and Ethnic Groups (LULAC, MALDEF)
• Public-Interest Groups (BCLC, Common Cause)