Role of Interest Groups in American Politics

So, for example, the NRA wants to lobby against gun control measures. The Sierra Club wants to lobby for environmental protections. They provide opportunities for participation in American politics. And interest groups are actively engaged in the political process in order to achieve their goal. There is estimated to be 25,000 interest groups in the United States. And they influence how people relate to government and policymakers. So that makes them a linkage institution. They are different than political parties. Interest groups do not run candidates for political office, but they can support a candidate or put pressure on candidates to pursue their policy goals. They are policy specialists, so they know what they know, whether it be gun control or environmental issues. They're not policy generalists. Whereas the major political parties have positions on a variety of issues, they have particular policy goals. And finally, the rise of the internet and social media. make it easier for interest groups to organize and lobby policymakers. There are various theories of interest group politics you should know. And one thing is there's a debate as to whether interest groups bring more benefits or harm to the political process. Are interest groups good or bad for democracy? And there's various theories about this. Pluralists believe that interest groups are a positive and that they link people in government. They help the democratic process. Since lobbying is open to all groups, compet- Competition between interest groups ensures that all interests are heard by the government. This is really the group theory of politics. Various groups are competing with one another. So on the issue of gun control, you have the NRA, and then you have groups like Every Town for Gun Safety. These interest groups make different requests on the government and policymakers. And since anybody can do this, no one interest dominates. And another idea behind this theory is opposing interests would balance one another. They do acknowledge that some groups are stronger than others and not all interests get equal attention. But ultimately, lobbying is open to all. Another theory is called elitism. This argues that interest groups are extremely unequal in their power and influence. Elitism believes that interest groups bring more harm to politics. And this is the view held by most in the general public. And the basic premise behind this is that there are a very few powerful groups that benefit the wealthy few at the expense of everyone else. There may be many different groups, but most do not have significant power. And generally, elitism believes corporate interests often rise above those of consumers. They have the power. The corporations have the power. Hyperpluralism is another theory of interest group politics, and this argues that many groups competing is bad for governing. And the reason is too many interest groups creates gridlock as the government has too many interests to cater to. And this leads to increased spending by government, more government programs and regulations. And oftentimes with all these interest groups competing, it leads to government pursuing confusing or contradictory policies as politicians try to appeal to a whole bunch of different groups. Iron triangle is when a interest group forms a close relationship with the federal agency or bureaucracy that oversees policy related to their interests and congressional committees who handle those policies. And you can see on the graphic on the right, this idea of the iron triangle can be dangerous because it can lead to control of the regulators by the regulator. And this is one of the criticisms of interest group politics. Now, what makes an interest group successful? Successful variation in types of resources of interest groups. affects their ability to influence elections and policy making. And small groups tend to have an advantage in interest group politics. Surprisingly, large groups tend to be less effective. It's easier to organize and to convert potential group members into actual group members when you are a smaller group, getting people who share a common interest to join the interest group. Collective good are benefits that can't be denied to non-members of a group. So for example, if you don't belong to an environmental interest group that argues for clean water, chances are that you're going to reap the benefits of their work without actually having to join or be a part of the process. This leads to a free rider problem. This is when non-members or potential members. reap the benefits of the work of an interest group. Another thing that makes an interest group successful is intensity. Intensity of support or opposition to an issue increases the chance a interest group will be successful. People that are passionate or more likely to turn out at the polls on election day and send a clear message to policy makers. Single-issue groups tend to dislike compromise and are increasingly on the rise. For example, abortion-related interest groups but these groups do tend to have a lot more intensity of support or opposition to the issue, and so therefore they tend to be much more effective as an interest group. Wealth and financial resources can help interest groups achieve their goals. Financial resources provide access to politicians and political campaigns, and it is a fact of life that inequality of political and economic resources does mean unequal access to decision makers amongst interest groups. But wealth doesn't always translate into favorable policy outcomes. The system is competitive, so you can have the most loot, but it doesn't always mean you get what you want. There are other interest groups. So how do groups try to shape policy? Interest groups use a variety of ways to try to achieve their policy goals. And one important way is lobbying. Lobbyists are used to put pressure and influence public figures. You can see lobbyists roaming the Capitol at the federal, the state level. And these are individuals that are trying to put pressure. on lawmakers to hear their side of an issue. Oftentimes these lobbyists are former members of Congress so they know the system, they have the connections, and they try to use those. There are different types of lobbyists. Full-time lobbyists work full-time and only well-funded groups can afford to have a lobbyist on the payroll. Smaller groups will bring in temporary lobbyists during critical legislative periods to try to get their issue front and center in the national, state, or local debate. So why do congressional leaders meet with lobbyists? Well, you can be damn sure they ain't doing it out of the kindness of their heart. They get something out of it. One thing they do receive is specialized policy knowledge. Congressional leaders tend to be policy generals. They have to know things about a whole range of issues and lobbyists can be well informed about specific policy issues. They also meet to strategize how to win over votes in Congress and to get support amongst voters. So basically campaign strategy. Many of these interest groups have done polling. They know what messaging works and what messaging does not work. Lobbyists will also provide ideas about legislation and in many cases draft legislative proposals. And you also cannot forget the financial support that interest groups can provide politicians. Another way they try to shape policy is electioneering. This is the strategy of providing financial support to candidates friendly to a group's cause and getting members to support them at the polls. And you can see on the right some of the big industries that have been spending money. And the short version of this is getting politicians sympathetic to the cause of the interest group elected. They can get out the vote amongst their supporters. They can offer endorsements. There's a number of things interest groups can do come campaign time. Interest groups establish political action committees, PACs, to donate to candidates. A large amount of campaign money does come from PACs during campaigns. And with this money comes debate. Does PAC money make politicians obligated to pursue the interests of interest groups debated in your class. Litigation is another way groups try to shape policy and this is the strategy of using the courts in lawsuits to create change. You can't sway Congress, you can't sway the presidency, you could take it to the court. The civil rights movement battled segregation on constitutional grounds in the courts so when Congress wasn't doing anything, the executive branch wasn't doing anything, they took it to the courts. Even if a group is not directly involved in a case, they can issue what is known as an amicus curiae brief. This is Latin for friend of the court, and this allows a group to give their opinion on how the court should rule and why. So you don't have to be involved in the litigation, but you can file a brief to the court, and as a friend of the court, you could weigh in with your opinion, and interest groups will oftentimes do this. Another litigation tool is a class action lawsuit, and this is when you combine common grievances amongst people. into a single lawsuit. And this is done also to put pressure or to make change. And finally, groups try to shape policy by going public. This is the strategy of mobilizing public opinion to influence policy makers. So you get your members to call or email representatives, sign petitions and support or opposition to a policy, put that pressure, put them on blast to try to create change. So now that we know how groups try to shape policy, what are different types of interest groups? And there are four distinct types of groups. One are economic interests, environmental interests, equality interests, and consumer and public interests. So let's take a closer look at them. Economic interest groups are groups that are concerned over things like taxes, regulations, subsidies, tariffs, wages. Economic policies can cause concern for a variety of groups. And one group that you should know about is labor unions. Labor unions will represent the interest of workers. A few terms you should know when membership is mandatory. This is called a closed shop. This means you are required to join the union, and this helps deal with the free rider problem that interest groups do face. Many states, however, have passed right-to-work laws. This prevents unions from being able to require membership, and there has been a steady decline of union membership and union power. in the last 50 years. Another example of a economic interest group is corporate groups. You can see who's been given money as of 2017. Corporate groups tend to have well-funded lobbyists and PACs, but keep in mind this is not some united front. Corporations oftentimes have different goals. So for example, you have the electric car industry versus the oil industry. Corporations are not monolithic, but they tend to have a lot of loot. You also have environmental interest groups, groups like the Sierra Club that has been holding it down since the late 19th century, groups like Greenpeace. And they are concerned over issues such as global warming, water quality, and other environmental issues. Equality interests are groups that are concerned over issues of racial, gender, sexual orientation, and other issues of social justice. There's a whole bunch of different groups. A couple of examples for you, the NAACP, which has been around since the early 20th century, sued and won the... Brown v. Board of Education school desegregation case. And there's a variety of groups that continue to fight for racial justice, social welfare policies, police and criminal justice reform. Another example is now the National Organization of Women, which has been battling gender discrimination and has fought hard for things like the Equal Rights Amendment. The last group is consumer or public interests. And these are groups that are concerned over issues that they believe will positively impact the collective good. A great example of this type of group is the work that Ralph Nader and his crew did with highway and automobile safety. But these groups tend to have a big free rider problem. So these groups pursue policies they perceive to be in the public interest. But this gets complicated because who's public interest? Certain things like speed limit, automobile safety, food safety are not controversial. But there are various religious groups that push an agenda that they say is in the public interest. But once again. who is public interest. Finally, understanding interest groups. There are benefits and potential problems of interest group influence on elections and policy making. It's important you know them. Straight up from the College Board framework, they say interest groups may represent very specific or more general interests and can educate voters and office holders, draft legislation, and mobilize membership to apply pressure on and work with legislators and government agencies. So in a democratic free society where all ideas are entitled to an opportunity to be represented, interest groups can serve a very important role. However, interest groups exert influence through long-standing relationships with bureaucratic agencies, congressional committees, and other interest groups. Such relationships are described as iron triangles and issue networks, and they help interest groups exert influence across political party coalitions. While definitely some good can come of this, interest groups tend to focus on their own self-interest and not of the well-being of society as a whole. And so if interest groups have too much influence over government, who is the government serving? And as you probably already know, interest groups typically want something from the government. And this kind of creates a circle of life of interest groups. Groups lead to policy and new policy causes new groups to form. Every move by the government impacts some other group and that means new groups will form and put new pressures on the government. That's going to do it. If you haven't already done so, check out the website, APushExplained.com. We've got an AP government section right there and you click on that tab. You can get all the slides and the notes and all sorts of good stuff. Make sure you subscribe, tell a friend, and have a beautiful day. Peace.

So, for example, the NRA wants to lobby against gun control measures. The Sierra Club wants to lobby for environmental protections. They provide opportunities for participation in American politics.

And interest groups are actively engaged in the political process in order to achieve their goal. There is estimated to be 25,000 interest groups in the United States. And they influence how people relate to government and policymakers.

So that makes them a linkage institution. They are different than political parties. Interest groups do not run candidates for political office, but they can support a candidate or put pressure on candidates to pursue their policy goals.

They are policy specialists, so they know what they know, whether it be gun control or environmental issues. They're not policy generalists. Whereas the major political parties have positions on a variety of issues, they have particular policy goals.

And finally, the rise of the internet and social media. make it easier for interest groups to organize and lobby policymakers. There are various theories of interest group politics you should know. And one thing is there's a debate as to whether interest groups bring more benefits or harm to the political process.

Are interest groups good or bad for democracy? And there's various theories about this. Pluralists believe that interest groups are a positive and that they link people in government.

They help the democratic process. Since lobbying is open to all groups, compet- Competition between interest groups ensures that all interests are heard by the government. This is really the group theory of politics. Various groups are competing with one another. So on the issue of gun control, you have the NRA, and then you have groups like Every Town for Gun Safety.

These interest groups make different requests on the government and policymakers. And since anybody can do this, no one interest dominates. And another idea behind this theory is opposing interests would balance one another.

They do acknowledge that some groups are stronger than others and not all interests get equal attention. But ultimately, lobbying is open to all. Another theory is called elitism. This argues that interest groups are extremely unequal in their power and influence.

Elitism believes that interest groups bring more harm to politics. And this is the view held by most in the general public. And the basic premise behind this is that there are a very few powerful groups that benefit the wealthy few at the expense of everyone else.

There may be many different groups, but most do not have significant power. And generally, elitism believes corporate interests often rise above those of consumers. They have the power. The corporations have the power.

Hyperpluralism is another theory of interest group politics, and this argues that many groups competing is bad for governing. And the reason is too many interest groups creates gridlock as the government has too many interests to cater to. And this leads to increased spending by government, more government programs and regulations. And oftentimes with all these interest groups competing, it leads to government pursuing confusing or contradictory policies as politicians try to appeal to a whole bunch of different groups.

Iron triangle is when a interest group forms a close relationship with the federal agency or bureaucracy that oversees policy related to their interests and congressional committees who handle those policies. And you can see on the graphic on the right, this idea of the iron triangle can be dangerous because it can lead to control of the regulators by the regulator. And this is one of the criticisms of interest group politics. Now, what makes an interest group successful? Successful variation in types of resources of interest groups.

affects their ability to influence elections and policy making. And small groups tend to have an advantage in interest group politics. Surprisingly, large groups tend to be less effective.

It's easier to organize and to convert potential group members into actual group members when you are a smaller group, getting people who share a common interest to join the interest group. Collective good are benefits that can't be denied to non-members of a group. So for example, if you don't belong to an environmental interest group that argues for clean water, chances are that you're going to reap the benefits of their work without actually having to join or be a part of the process. This leads to a free rider problem.

This is when non-members or potential members. reap the benefits of the work of an interest group. Another thing that makes an interest group successful is intensity.

Intensity of support or opposition to an issue increases the chance a interest group will be successful. People that are passionate or more likely to turn out at the polls on election day and send a clear message to policy makers. Single-issue groups tend to dislike compromise and are increasingly on the rise. For example, abortion-related interest groups but these groups do tend to have a lot more intensity of support or opposition to the issue, and so therefore they tend to be much more effective as an interest group. Wealth and financial resources can help interest groups achieve their goals.

Financial resources provide access to politicians and political campaigns, and it is a fact of life that inequality of political and economic resources does mean unequal access to decision makers amongst interest groups. But wealth doesn't always translate into favorable policy outcomes. The system is competitive, so you can have the most loot, but it doesn't always mean you get what you want. There are other interest groups.

So how do groups try to shape policy? Interest groups use a variety of ways to try to achieve their policy goals. And one important way is lobbying.

Lobbyists are used to put pressure and influence public figures. You can see lobbyists roaming the Capitol at the federal, the state level. And these are individuals that are trying to put pressure. on lawmakers to hear their side of an issue.

Oftentimes these lobbyists are former members of Congress so they know the system, they have the connections, and they try to use those. There are different types of lobbyists. Full-time lobbyists work full-time and only well-funded groups can afford to have a lobbyist on the payroll.

Smaller groups will bring in temporary lobbyists during critical legislative periods to try to get their issue front and center in the national, state, or local debate. So why do congressional leaders meet with lobbyists? Well, you can be damn sure they ain't doing it out of the kindness of their heart. They get something out of it. One thing they do receive is specialized policy knowledge.

Congressional leaders tend to be policy generals. They have to know things about a whole range of issues and lobbyists can be well informed about specific policy issues. They also meet to strategize how to win over votes in Congress and to get support amongst voters. So basically campaign strategy. Many of these interest groups have done polling.

They know what messaging works and what messaging does not work. Lobbyists will also provide ideas about legislation and in many cases draft legislative proposals. And you also cannot forget the financial support that interest groups can provide politicians. Another way they try to shape policy is electioneering.

This is the strategy of providing financial support to candidates friendly to a group's cause and getting members to support them at the polls. And you can see on the right some of the big industries that have been spending money. And the short version of this is getting politicians sympathetic to the cause of the interest group elected. They can get out the vote amongst their supporters. They can offer endorsements.

There's a number of things interest groups can do come campaign time. Interest groups establish political action committees, PACs, to donate to candidates. A large amount of campaign money does come from PACs during campaigns. And with this money comes debate. Does PAC money make politicians obligated to pursue the interests of interest groups debated in your class.

Litigation is another way groups try to shape policy and this is the strategy of using the courts in lawsuits to create change. You can't sway Congress, you can't sway the presidency, you could take it to the court. The civil rights movement battled segregation on constitutional grounds in the courts so when Congress wasn't doing anything, the executive branch wasn't doing anything, they took it to the courts.

Even if a group is not directly involved in a case, they can issue what is known as an amicus curiae brief. This is Latin for friend of the court, and this allows a group to give their opinion on how the court should rule and why. So you don't have to be involved in the litigation, but you can file a brief to the court, and as a friend of the court, you could weigh in with your opinion, and interest groups will oftentimes do this.

Another litigation tool is a class action lawsuit, and this is when you combine common grievances amongst people. into a single lawsuit. And this is done also to put pressure or to make change.

And finally, groups try to shape policy by going public. This is the strategy of mobilizing public opinion to influence policy makers. So you get your members to call or email representatives, sign petitions and support or opposition to a policy, put that pressure, put them on blast to try to create change.

So now that we know how groups try to shape policy, what are different types of interest groups? And there are four distinct types of groups. One are economic interests, environmental interests, equality interests, and consumer and public interests. So let's take a closer look at them. Economic interest groups are groups that are concerned over things like taxes, regulations, subsidies, tariffs, wages.

Economic policies can cause concern for a variety of groups. And one group that you should know about is labor unions. Labor unions will represent the interest of workers.

A few terms you should know when membership is mandatory. This is called a closed shop. This means you are required to join the union, and this helps deal with the free rider problem that interest groups do face.

Many states, however, have passed right-to-work laws. This prevents unions from being able to require membership, and there has been a steady decline of union membership and union power. in the last 50 years.

Another example of a economic interest group is corporate groups. You can see who's been given money as of 2017. Corporate groups tend to have well-funded lobbyists and PACs, but keep in mind this is not some united front. Corporations oftentimes have different goals.

So for example, you have the electric car industry versus the oil industry. Corporations are not monolithic, but they tend to have a lot of loot. You also have environmental interest groups, groups like the Sierra Club that has been holding it down since the late 19th century, groups like Greenpeace. And they are concerned over issues such as global warming, water quality, and other environmental issues.

Equality interests are groups that are concerned over issues of racial, gender, sexual orientation, and other issues of social justice. There's a whole bunch of different groups. A couple of examples for you, the NAACP, which has been around since the early 20th century, sued and won the... Brown v. Board of Education school desegregation case.

And there's a variety of groups that continue to fight for racial justice, social welfare policies, police and criminal justice reform. Another example is now the National Organization of Women, which has been battling gender discrimination and has fought hard for things like the Equal Rights Amendment. The last group is consumer or public interests. And these are groups that are concerned over issues that they believe will positively impact the collective good. A great example of this type of group is the work that Ralph Nader and his crew did with highway and automobile safety.

But these groups tend to have a big free rider problem. So these groups pursue policies they perceive to be in the public interest. But this gets complicated because who's public interest? Certain things like speed limit, automobile safety, food safety are not controversial. But there are various religious groups that push an agenda that they say is in the public interest.

But once again. who is public interest. Finally, understanding interest groups. There are benefits and potential problems of interest group influence on elections and policy making.

It's important you know them. Straight up from the College Board framework, they say interest groups may represent very specific or more general interests and can educate voters and office holders, draft legislation, and mobilize membership to apply pressure on and work with legislators and government agencies. So in a democratic free society where all ideas are entitled to an opportunity to be represented, interest groups can serve a very important role.

However, interest groups exert influence through long-standing relationships with bureaucratic agencies, congressional committees, and other interest groups. Such relationships are described as iron triangles and issue networks, and they help interest groups exert influence across political party coalitions. While definitely some good can come of this, interest groups tend to focus on their own self-interest and not of the well-being of society as a whole. And so if interest groups have too much influence over government, who is the government serving? And as you probably already know, interest groups typically want something from the government.

And this kind of creates a circle of life of interest groups. Groups lead to policy and new policy causes new groups to form. Every move by the government impacts some other group and that means new groups will form and put new pressures on the government.

That's going to do it. If you haven't already done so, check out the website, APushExplained.com. We've got an AP government section right there and you click on that tab. You can get all the slides and the notes and all sorts of good stuff. Make sure you subscribe, tell a friend, and have a beautiful day.

Peace.

Transcript for:Role of Interest Groups in American Politics

Transcript for:
Role of Interest Groups in American Politics