interest groups 11/28/2011. clearly communicated learning objectives in written form upon completion...
TRANSCRIPT
Interest Groups
11/28/2011
Clearly Communicated Learning Objectives in Written Form
• Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:– discuss and critically analyze political events in the
United States government– students will be able to identify and explain the
role of informal institutions and their effect on policy.
Office Hours and Readings
• Pp 130-151• Office Hours– Tuesday 8-12– Wednesday 8-10:30
Resources of Interest Groups
• Money and Size
• Intensity
• Cohesion
• Access
TACTICS OF INTEREST GROUPSDirect Lobbying
Direct Lobbying
• Traditional Interest group tactic
• All about making contacts
• Exchanging Resources
Direct Lobbying
• An Exchange of Resources
• What Resources do interest groups have for legislators?
• What resources do legislators have for interest groups
The Revolving Door
• 1 year moratorium
• People move out of Congress and on to “K” Street
Why former Congressmen?
• Familiarity
• Ability to get access
Direct Lobbying is not Cheap
INDIRECT LOBBYINGTactics of Interest Groups
What is Outsider/Indirect Lobbying
• Pressure from outside the beltway
• Pressure without direct contact
Tactics of Indirect Lobbying
• Electoral Threats
• Using the media to shape opinion
• Reports and publications
Politicians dislike indirect tactics
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAILInterest groups and the electoral connection
Why Get involved?
• You want to keep people you trust in position
• You want to control the agenda
Getting the membership active
• Encouraging members to donate
• Hitlists
• Scorecards
How Much Can Members Give?
SPENDING MONEY
Money is a form of Political Speech
• Buckley v. Valeo
• At the federal level, fundraising is not capped
• Neither are expenditures
Political Action Committees
• The Money Giving Arm of an Interest Group
• Can Give $5,000 per candidate per election
Different PACs have different Goals
• Issue PACS
• Labor PACS
• Ideological PACS
• Leadership PACS
PACS Give to Safe Seats
• Money flows to safe seats
• Giving money to losers has no return on investment
• If I wanted to buy seats, I would give to underdogs and closer races
Pacs Give To Incumbents
• I care about the issues, not the label
• I want to keep my supporters in office
• Keep my enemies out
PACS Give to People Who Already Support them
• “Corporations Love Everyone”
• You want them to get reelected
• You want them to continue to support your ideas
PACS do not Give To Undecided Members
• Money could convince them to vote my way
• But what if it doesn’t
• Its safer to hang on to it
PACS do not give to their enemies
• My money is not going to change their votes
• They won’t take my money anyway
The Goal Of PAC Money
• Access
• A chance to meet with legislators
• Ensure my views are represented
UNCONVENTIONAL STRATEGIES
What are Unconventional Strategies
• Things outside of traditional lobbying
• Using events and media coverage to gather support
• Can border on legality
Why Groups Use Unconventional Strategies
• Lack the Traditional Resources of powerful interest groups
• Convential strategies may not work
• The group is committed to the message
Problems of Unconvential Strategies
Wrong Coverage No Coverage
Unconventional Strategies Can Backfire
9 out of 10 times Grassroots is a euphemism for poor or unorganized
Astroturf Movements
• “fake grassroots”
• Sponsored by a few donors, a union, or a corporation
• Ross Perot was one of the first
PROBLEMS OF INTEREST GROUPS
The System is Biased
• It is not a fair system
• All components of interest group power are not distributed evenly
Representational Inequality
Access Inequality
• Benefits Matter
• Some Groups will never form
• Some groups will form easily
Resource Inequalities
• Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission
• Communications can include the magic words
• Cannot be in conjunction with a candidate or party
Independent Expenditures in 2010
From The Right From The Left
“The Flaw in the pluralist heaven is that the heavenly chorus sings with a strong upper class accent”.