Honors Passion Civics

Chapter 10 Notes - Interest Groups

Theories of Interest Groups Politics

The Role of Interest Groups in Politics

• Right to organize groups (interest groups) is protected by Constitution
  • First Amendment
• Interest group - organization of ppl w/ shared policy goal(s) → enter policy process @ 1+ points + policy arenas → try to achieve their goals
  • Support candidates for office, but don’t run their own slate of candidates (America only)
  • Increasing rapidly over past half century
    • Development of sophisticated technology (emails, phone calls → reach lots of ppl)
• Interest groups (IG) vs political parties (PP)
  • IG - usually policy specialists
    • Have a handful of key policies to push
  • PP - usually policy generalists
    • Want to appeal to everyone
• Does lobbying + interest groups create problems for the government? (in America)
  • 3 important theories: pluralism, elitism, hyperpluralism

Pluralism

• Pluralism - argues that interest group activity brings representation to all
  • Plural = several diverse elements
• Pluralists: “groups compete + counterbalance one another in political marketplace”
  • Groups win some, lose some. But no group wins/loses all the time
• Group theory of politics
  • Groups provide key link between ppl + gov
  • Groups compete
  • No one group is likely to dominate
  • Groups usually play by rules of the game
    • Fair fight, no lying/cheating/stealing to get their way
  • Groups weak in one resource can use another
• Summary: lobbying is open to all → not a problem

Elitism

• Elitism - argues that a few groups (primarily the wealthy) have most of the power
  • ELITE ($) ism
• Pluralists impressed by # of organized interests, elitists impressed by how most of them are insignificant
• Groups are extremely unequal in power
  • Largest corporations = hold largest amt of power
  • Other groups may win small policy battles, but corporate elites ultimately win in the big decisions
• Power of few groups is fortified by extensive system of interlocking directorates
  • ⅓ of top institutional positions are occupied by ppl who hold 1+ positions
• Lobbying is a problem

Hyperpluralism

• Hyperpluralism - argues that too many groups are getting too much of what they want → gov policies that are contradictory + lacking in direction
  • Hyper = excessive
• Also criticize pluralism – interest group system is out of control
• Problem is Interest group liberalism - situation where gov in excessively deferential to groups
  • Treat all pressure group demands as legit + sees gov’s job as to advance them all
  • Ex: mail industry wants cheap rates → gov gives it to them
  • Promoted by network of subgovernments in American political system that exercise great deal of control over specific policy areas
    • Iron triangles (subgovernments) - composed of:
      • key interest group leaders interested in policy X
      • the gov agency in charge of administering policy X
      • members of congressional committees + subcommittees handling policy X
    • All elements of iron triangle have same goal - protect their self-interest
• Relations between interest groups + gov are too cozy → gov rarely makes hard choices abt national policy
  • Instead of choosing between X and Y, gov tries to favor both

What Makes an Interest Group Successful?

The Surprising Effectiveness of Small Groups

• Potential groups - consist of all the ppl who might be interest group members bc they share a common interest
• Actual groups - consist of the ppl in the potential groups who actually join
• Groups vary to the degree in which they enroll their potential membership
• “All groups are in the business of providing collective goods” - Mancur Olson
  • Collective goods - something of value, can’t be withheld from potential group member
    • Ex: clean air
    • members of a potential group share benefits that members of the actual group work to secure
    • Issue of this (free-rider problem): why join the group + work hard when you can benefit from not doing anything?
      • Bigger potential group → free-rider problem more serious
        • Less likely for potential members to participate since “everyone can make a difference” is not as credible
      • Way for large potential groups to overcome this
        • Provide selective benefits - goods that a group can restrict to only those who actually join
• Once well organized, large groups may be very effective, but harder for them to get together in the first place

Intensity

• Intensity - psychological advantage, both small + large groups can enjoy this alike
  • Raise an issue that ppl feel intensely about
• Group shows they’re intense abt issue → politicians more likely to listen → votes
• Amy McKay: intensity of lobbying against proposal is powerful predictor for whether it’s adopted in Congress / fed agency
  • Groups that oppose are more intense abt their position than groups calling for change
• Single-issue groups - have a narrow interest, dislikes compromise, single-mindedly pursues goal
  • Ex: opponents of gun control, abortion

Financial Resources

• American interest group systems are biased towards the wealthy
• However, correlation between big money + lobbying success is weak
  • 1. Lobbying is very competitive
  • 2. One big interest face off against another big interest
    • Ex: 25 most powerful interest groups face off against each other
  • 3. High degree of diversity among those on each side of lobbying game
    • Groups w/ lots of $ often allied themselves w/ poor groups that shared common goal

How Groups Try to Shape Policy

• No interest group has enough staff/money/time to do everything possible to achieve its policy goals → choose tactics to pursue goals

Lobbying

• Lobbying - a “communication, by someone other than a citizen acting on his/her own behalf, directed to a governmental decision maker w/ the hope of influencing his/ her decision” - Lester Milbrath
  • Term comes from back then when ppl had to get in touch w/ member of Congress by waiting in the lobby
  • Lobbyists - political persuaders who represent organized groups.
    • There are 2 types:
      • 1. Regular, paid employee of corporation/union/association
      • 2. Available for hire on a temporary basis
        • Work for small groups (can’t afford full-time lobbyist) or groups that need unique + temporary access to Congress / executive branch
    • Primarily out to influence Congress members, but can be helpful as well
      • Lobbyists are important source of info, ideas, innovation
      • Can help politicians w/ political strategy for getting legislation through
      • Can help formulate campaign strategy + get a group’s members behind a politician’s reelection campaign
  • Can either be done crudely or gracefully
  • Lobbying success depends on ability to deploy info strategically on behalf of their clients
    • Also works best on ppl already committed to a lobbyist’s policy position
  • Directed toward primarily activating and reinforcing supporters
• Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 - established criteria for determining whether an organization/firm should register its employees as lobbyists

Electioneering

• Electioneering - aiding candidates financially + getting group members out to support them
  • Direct group involvement in the electoral process
• PACs provide means for interest groups to participate in electioneering
  • “Any industry that has any kind of dependence on government is pretty much forced to do what they’re doing”
• PAC is formed when interest group contributes to candidates they believe will support legislation they favor
  • Group registers as PAC w/ FEC → puts in PAC coffers → donates to specific candidates
• Congressional candidates need PACs - high-tech campaigning is expensive
• “PACs, why do you give money to certain candidates?” bc candidates were:
  • 1. on committees important to their interests
  • 2. very supportive of issues important to them
  • 3. from a district/state where they had facilities
  • 4. helping them w/ executive + regulatory agencies
  • 5. in leadership positions that allowed them to influence issues that affect PAC
• Critics of PAC system
  • Worry $leads to PAC control over what winners do once in office</li><li>Distort democratic process, corrupt our political system in favor of those who can raise the most$
• Common Cause's (citizen’s watchdog group) perspective
  • Common Cause criticizes the influence of corporate PACs on Capitol Hill
  • Argue that corporate PACs lead to "corporate welfare" + cost taxpayers billions
  • PAC influence often operates BTS in technical committee meetings
  • W/o PAC contributions, the public interest would be better served
• Contrasting perspective of common cause
  • PAC contributions don’t directly cause legislative decisions, most members of Congress aren’t influenced by them
  • PAC contributions often align with beliefs of the politicians they support → they’re less influential
  • PACs represent occupational groups (farmers, lawyers, and college professors) → collectively support candidates
  • Corporate PACs can represent the interests of stockholders and employees

Litigating

• Interest group fails to achieve goal in Congress → can go to court to achieve goal
• Amicus curiae (“friend of the court) briefs
  • Written arguments submitted to the courts in support of 1 side of a case
  • Lawyers file these to make interest groups views heard
• Class action lawsuits
  • Allow group of ppl in similar situation to combine their common grievances into single suit

Going Public

• Interest groups create public image + use public opinion to their advantage whenever possible
• Defend reputation or promote stands on issues

Types of Interest Groups

• Interest groups are omnipresent in American political system
• Political scientists loosely categorize interest groups into clusters
  • Most important → groups deal w/ economic issues, environmental concerns, equality issues, or interests of consumers + the public generally

Economic Interests

• Business, labor, farmers → fret over impact of gov regulation → minor changes can cause great deal
• Tax → determines whether ppl + producers pay a lot/little of their incomes to gov
• Gov provides subsidies to farmers, small businesses, railroads, minority businesses
  • Every economic group wants this aid and government contracts
• Era of economic global interdependence
  • Economic interests concerned abt import quotas and tariffs + soundness of dollar

Labor

• Unions are main interest groups representing labor
  • 10M workers: members of union belonging to AFL-CIO → union of unions
  • Millions of others belong to unions not affiliated w/ AFL-CIO
    • National Education Association, Teamster, Service Employees International Union
• Aim of unions → press for policies, ensure better working conditions + higher wages
• Union shop - agreements requiring all employees of unionized business join the union within short period of being hired + remain members as condition of employment
  • Many works would enjoy union benefit w/o actually joining a union + paying dues → establish union shop
• Business groups supported right-to-work laws - outlaw union membership as a condition of employment, forbid the creation of union shops
• Taft-Hartley Act (1974) - permitted states to adopt right-to-work laws
• 1956 - American labor movement peaked
  • 33% of nonagricultural workforce belonged to a union, then declined to ~11%
    • Low wages in other countries → America has to compete w/ other countries where workers earn low wages
    • Problems unions have had in convincing today’s workers that they’ll benefit from unionization → tasks become difficult bc employers’ efforts to make nonunion jobs is more satisfying
• Decline in blue-collar industries → expansion in public sector
  • 2014: 35% public sector employees = union members, 7% in private sectors

Business

• American power elite dominated by leaders of biggest banks, insurance companies, multinational corporations
• Large corporation garnered unprecedented amount of power over policy makers
  • ¾ of lobbying expense comes from business interests
  • Lobbying expense by businesses exceed behalf of unions and consumer groups x34 over
• Content of legislative acts is longer and detailed
  • Business lobbyists get many details written into legislation that benefit their clients
  • If clear payoff from lobbying activities, business invest more $ in lobbying
• Corporations often find their $$ can't buy desired results, but gives them advantage in policymaking process
• Another advantage is ability to make PAC contributions to members of Congress
  • Democrats/Republican receive more when in majority → PAC contributions is access to the most powerful policymakers

Environmental Interests

• Newer political interest groups: environmentalists
• Origins to the first Earth Day, April 22, 1970
  • Ecology-minded people marched to symbolized support for environmental protection
• US ranks high democracies in % of adults belongs to groups that protect environment
  • World Wildlife Fund, Nature Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation
• Promoted policies to control pollution and combat global warming… and opposed policies and practices oil drilling, strip mining, nuclear power plants

Equality Interests

• African American groups’ goal: equality
  • National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
    • Won Brown v. Board case
• Civil rights groups push for equality
  • Affirmative action programs → minority groups given educational + employment opportunities
• Social welfare policies to help the poor (social welfare agenda) are less known
  • Dona + Charles Hamilton
• Issues are rarely settled, instead they shift to different policy arenas

Consumer and Other Public Interest Lobbies

• Public interest lobbies - organizations that seek a collective good which benefits the society as a whole
  • Benefit for the public as consumers, for public more broadly defines, for some sector of public
• Consumer groups protect consumers
• Public interest groups protect public

Understanding Interest Groups

• Groups are usually more concerned with their own self-interest than needs of society

Interest Groups and Democracy

• Madison's solution: create wide open system, groups with opposing interest counterbalance one another
• Increase in lobby activity = less clout for interest groups
• Elite theorists disagree
  • Proliferation of business PACs of more interest groups corruption in American politics
• Hyperpluralist theorists say if major interest group strongly objects to proposed legislation, policymaker will try to accommodate it
  • Hard to accomplish major policy change bc too many interest groups

Interest Groups and the Scope of Government

• Multiplicity of American interest groups + openness of American politics to input from interest groups
  • Give individuals many channels for political participations → facilitate the representation of individual interest
• Many American politicians have found their attempts to cut waste in federal spending frustrated by interest groups
• Others argue more areas federal government is involved in → more interest groups develop to attempt to influence policy
  • Interest groups spend a lot of time monitoring policy developments