What are the reasons for the increase in the number of interest groups quizlet?

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Terms in this set (43)

Railroads

Dominant economic interest in Washington D.C. during the post-Civil War Era

Union Pacific Railroad

Pressure was exerted by Oakes Ames for the construction of this

He also installed his brother Oliver Ames as president of this railroad in 1866

After the scam, Ames was censured & this railroad went bankrupt

Credit Mibilier

Front company that was a part of a financial scam to funnel money back to the railroads through their construction tracts

Interest Groups

"Pressure group/organized interest"

Organization of people with shared goals that tried to influence public policy through a variety of activities & are attempting to protect/advance their own interests

Most natural/influential form of public input into government

Examples: Writing to elected representatives to voice their opinion, joining an interest group, senior citizens securing cost-of-living (increase monthly SS check/AARP)

Jack Abromoff

He lobbied on the behalf of Native American tribes in their efforts to promote Indian-run casinos

He was also hired to represent the Native Americans to further promote casino developments. By doing so, he helped defeat federal legislation who would have placed a federal tax on these casinos

He spent millions of dollars to illegally influence politicians by offering free meals, free skyboxes, & free vacations

He was eventually prosecuted by the government for fraud & pleaded guilty

1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act

Permitted casinos on tribal lands

Tom Delay

House Majority Leader that played a role in Abromoff's scams & was later shut down

Alex de Tocqueville

Wrote the book "Democracy in America"

Frenchman who toured the US in the early 1830s & was surprised about the way Americans were prone to organize in groups & use their associations for political process

Pluralism

Theory that public policy largely results from a variety of interest groups competing w/ one another to promote laws that benefit members of their respective groups

"the majority rarely rules"

Majoritarianism

Theory that public policy is a product of what majorities of citizens prefer

Focuses on public opinion, voting results, & mass representation to describe how democracy in America actually works

Robert Dahl

Architect of pluralist ideas

Suggested in "A Preface to Democratic Theory" that the American people are represented in government primarily through interest group activity

According to Dahl, the US political system offers a number of "access points" for any given group to provide input, such as Congress, executive branch offices, the courts, elections & the news media

David B. Truman

Advanced the notion that group activity & mobilization are natural consequences of shared concerns

Pros of Interest Groups

1. Interest groups provide all groups in society w/ an opportunity to win support for their ideas/positions. The vast number of interest groups represents a wide array of political opinions, economic perspectives & social class differences.
2. Humans seek out others who have ideas similar to their own.
3. Right of association is a basic right protected implicitly bt the First Amendment to the Us Constitutions, which affords people the right "peaceably to assemble"
4. A wide array of diverse groups in society may organize & attempt to influence government. The system is fair in that it gives all groups an equitable opportunity to compete.

Cons of Interest Groups

1. Use of interest groups to make public policy is unfair because groups supported by the wealthy have far greater resources to promote their interests in the political system
2. Large corporations exist to maximize profits. They dominate the interest-group system & tend to be ruthless in achieving their policy goals.
3. Amount of interest-group activity is so great that it has made it difficult to get things done in government.
4. Interest-group leaders are not elected, distinguishing them from many of the policy-making institutions that have been constitutionally ordained such as Congress & executive branch.
5. Interest groups work to concentrate benefits for the few while distributing costs to the many.

Interest Groups vs Political Parties

1. Parties mainly focus on elections by endorsing candidates & working for their election office. Interest groups find other access points to accomplish their goals such as the courts, committee system & executive agencies.

2. Groups tend to focus narrowly on special issues or sets of issues. Major parties are all-encompassing & are guided by broader ideological ties approaching to governing.

Parties = generalists; interest groups = focused.

Social Movements

Example: Civil rights, consumer safety, women's rights, & environmental movements

Large informal groupings of individuals were often spawned directly from particular interest groups. Movements can be political, economic, & social.

Sons of Liberty

Gathered members, collected donations & organized protests to achieve the goal of American freedom from British taxation. Successful in their aims because they tied their actions to the economic interests of their members.

American Federation of Labor (AFL)

First broad-based national labor union led by Samuel Gompers

Established to advocate the rights of craft unions & ensure the terms of union contracts

Principal advocate for establishing a cabinet department, the US Department of Labor

1950s merged with the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) to create the AFL-CIO

National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)

1885 for the purpose of advancing the interests of the manufacturing businesses

Opponent of AFL

Goals: higher wages, better working conditions, increased benefits, job security

Growth of Interest Groups

Most significant factor leading to an increase in the number of interest groups has been the overall growth in government

1. Heightened concern about social & political issues fostered a significant amount of new interest group activity

2. Escalating cost of financing political campaigns has increases interest-group activity

Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971

Placed limits on individual & corporate contributions to political campaigns

Political Action Committees (PACs)

Raise money from individuals & provide a source of funding for candidates/political parties

Engage in "soft money" spending on advertising independent of candidates & parties

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

Ruled that corporations may make contributions to PACs, which has facilitated the "super PACs"

3 Set of Actors To Produce Public Policy

1. Congressional committees & subcommittees assigned to a specific area
2. Executive agencies of government that have the authority to administer policies in a particular area
3. Private interest groups have an interest in influencing that policy area

Iron Triangle

A three-sided network of policy-making that includes congressional committees in a specific policy area, executive agencies w/ authority over that area, & private interest groups focused on influencing that area.

Example: Pratt & Whitney

Issue Networks

Broader array of actors beyond legislators, bureaucrats & lobbyists who try to influence a particular policy area such as congressional staff people, journalists & other members of media

Reasons why people might join interest groups

1. Material Benefits
2. Purposive Benefits
3. Solidary Benefits

Material Benefits

Example: Salary increases, health insurance, magazine subscriptions, free products

Purposive Benefits

Rewards that do not directly benefit the individual member but benefit society more generally

Solidary Benefits

Satisfaction that individuals receive from interacting with like-minded individuals for a cause

What Makes Some Groups More Powerful Than Others

1. Size of membership (Larger = better/more influence)
2. Wealth of members (more = better)
3. Dedication of members to the goals of the group

Economic Interest Groups

Groups that exists to promote favorable economic conditions & economic opportunities for their members

Largest/most powerful groups, best organizes, most influential

Business Groups -- Trade Association

Focuses on 1 particular industry & members of the association are drawn exclusively from that industry

Looks out for the specific interests of a classification of businesses

Example: American Society of Travel Agents

Free Riders

Those individuals who do not join or contribute to an interest group that is representing their interests

Enjoy benefits of membership without cost

Labor Unions

Promote interests of American workers

Open Shop

Employees in a state must maintain the option of whether or not to join a certified union

If do not join the union, will not have to "pay the price"

Closed Shop

Taft Harley Act banned this

Requires union membership as a condition of employment in a unionized workplace

Union Shops

Require that employees in unionized workplaces either join the union or pay the equivalent of union dues to it after a set period of time

Noneconomic Interest Group

Public interest groups, issue or ideological groups, & government groups

Public Interest Groups

Promote the broad, collective good of citizens & consumers

Seek to promote political reforms that enhance the role of the public in the political process

Example: League of Women Voters, Common Cause

Ralph Nader made General motors publicly admit to the US Senate that the company ignored automobile safety problems

Issue & Ideological Groups

Example: Abortion, women's rights, environment, American Civil Liberties Union (civil rights) Christian Coalition of America (pro-life positions)

Broader focus than a particular issue or set of policy issues

Intergovernmental Lobbies

States, cities & governments organize collectively through a variety of interest groups such as these

Example: National League of Cities (interests of local government)

How Interest Groups Achieve Their Goals

1. Lobbying - How interest groups go about influencing government officials. Provide information to public officials with the hope that the info will convince the official to vote/act in a manner favorable to the group's interest. Seek access to members of Congress. Have knowledge/expertise. Communicate w/ public officials through written memos, policy papers, e-mail, or notes.
- Example: Individual offering money, gifts, etc in return for a favorable action.
- Grassroots Lobbying - Interest groups communicate with government officials by mobilizing public opinion to exert influence on government action
2. Supporting Candidates/Parties in Elections -
3. Litigation -
4. Persuasion Campaigns

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Why has the number of interest groups increased quizlet?

Why has the number of interest groups increased so rapidly in recent decades? Developments in technology made interest group activities easier to coordinate.

Why are there so many kinds of interest groups quizlet?

The American constitutional system contributes to the number of interest groups by multiplying the points at which such groups can gain access to the government. The weakness of political parties helps explain why there are so many strong interest groups.

What four factors explain the rise of interest groups?

At least four factors help explain the rise of interest groups..
Broad economic developments. ... .
Government policy. ... .
Religious and moralistic movements. ... .
The more activities government undertakes, the more interest groups form as a response to those activities..

What is the main reason interest groups form quizlet?

Interest groups form to seek influence in government decisions and patrons provide the groups with resources they need to get started. Changes in political environment and new technologies make it possible for people to efficiently identify other like-minded individuals to mobilize for national political action.