Interest Groupsas

Linkage Institutions

Interest Groups as Factions• Madison (Federalist 10) – his

description of factions defines the interest groups found today

• Madison’s broad language “ The latent causes of faction are sown in the nature of man..” predicted the potential for multiple factions on many topics

• Definition: People who share common goals, interact with each other, and organize to affect the public agenda.

Types of Interest Groups

• Economic: primary purpose is to promote the economic interest of their members

* National Assoc. of Manufacturers

* AFL-CIO (unions)* U.S. Chamber of Commerce* Pharmaceutical Manufacturers* National Farmers Union* Tobacco Institute* American Medical Assoc.* National Assoc. of Trial Lawyers* American Petroleum Institute

Types of Interest Groups• Public Interest Groups: narrowly

focused groups, often on a single issue* American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

* American Assoc. of Retired Persons (AARP)* The Brady Campaign.* National Assoc. for the Advancement of Colored

People (NAACP)* National Rifle Assoc. (NRA)* National Abortion Rights League (NARAL)* National Right to Life Committee

* Christian Coalition

Types of Interest Groups

• Environmental Groups: formed to protect many parts of the environment

* Greenpeace

* Sierra Club* Environmental Defense Fund* National Audubon Society* The Nature Conservancy* League of Conservation Voters

Types of Interest Groups

• Public Interest/Good Government: search for public policy that is in the interest of the general public

* Common Cause

* Public Citizen* National Right to Work* MADD

Interest Groups as linkage institutions

• Strategies to influence the public agenda

* Information & education of public,

Congress, White House, etc.* Mass media appeal* Mass mailings* Electioneering activities:

campaigning, issue ads, etc.* Political Action Committees (PACs)

Interest Groups as linkage institutions

• Lobbying* Congress: draft legislation, testify,

“astroturf” pressure, polls, use constituents a

grassroots* Executive Branch: information,

testify, assist with rules for

regulatory agencies * Courts: amicus curiae briefs,

nominations

Interest Groups as linkage institutions

• Other Activities* Grassroots: direct mail, internet,

radiotalk shows

* Protest: rally, parade, breaking the law

* Election: endorsements, rating candidates, contributions thru

PACs, issue ads, 527 committees, getting out the vote (GOTV)

Interest Groups’ Influence

• Positive: Advantage for democracy because it allows individual citizens to influence government in ways that are beyond their ballot – links them to the public agenda

• Negative: The poorer citizens & those in minorities are poorly represented, there is too much money involved in the process (elitist), and there is too much opportunity for influence of the public agenda to be purchased