Interest Groups, Lobbying & Money

I. IntroII. Interest Groups: DefinitionIII. Types

A. Public & Private • NRA, AARP

IV. TacticsA. Direct LobbyingB. Indirect Lobbying

• Civil DisobedienceC. $$$: Limits & Loopholes

Key Terms• Interest Groups• Telephone Tree• Mailings• PAC • MoveOn.org• EMILY’s LIST• McCain/Feingold• 527 Accounts• Citizens United• Negative Spending

Definition

A group that tries to get the government to pass laws to help their cause.

Interest Group

Types of Interest Groups

Public Interest Groups:

Lobby for causes to try to benefit all of society.

Types of Interest GroupsPublic Interest Groups

Environmental Groups– PETA– Sierra Club

Religious Organizations– Christian Coalition– Operation Rescue (Single Issue)

Other– National Rifle Association (Single Issue)

Types of Interest Groups

Private Interest Groups:

Lobby for causes to try to benefit members of their organization (MEMBERS ONLY).

Types of Interest GroupsPrivate Interest Groups

• Professional OrganizationsAmerican Medical AssociationAmerican Bar AssociationNational Education Association

• Other Organizations“Older Americans”

• AARPBusinessesForeign Governments

Tactics of Interest Groups

Direct Lobbying

Lobbyists speak directly with elected officials or members of their staff.

Tactics of Interest Groups

Indirect Lobbying• Groups mobilize average Americans to shape

public opinion & place pressure on politicians

Telephone TreeMailingsCivil Disobedience$$$$

AARP

Tactics of Interest Groups

Civil Disobedience

Violation of what is perceived to be an immoral law and accepting the punishment for violating those laws.

Why?-- to bring about publicity & hopefully change.

Bus Boycott(Montgomery, AL, 1955-56)

Rosa Parks

(1913-2005)

Money & Lobbying

PAC = Political Action Committee

A private group (corporation, labor union, interest group, etc.) that raises and spends money for use in elections.

PACs Raising a lot of MoneyJanuary 1, 2007- December 31, 2008

• MoveOn.org

– Supports Liberal Democrats

• EMILY’s LIST

– Goal: Elect pro- choice women (primarily Democrats) to public office

Source: fec.gov press release 6/4/09

• NRA Political Victory Fund

EMILY’S LISThttp://www.emilyslist.org/

• Early

• Money

• Is• Like

• Yeast

EMILY’S List Frontpage: 3/17/09

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/168449/may-13-2008/better-know-a-lobby---gun-control

Federal Elections Commissionhttp://www.fec.gov/

McCain/Feingold(2002 Reforms)

John McCain R-AZ

Russell Feingold D-WI

McCain/Feingold-Contribution Limits

1. Individuals may directly contribute up to:

• $2,000 to a candidate• $5,000 to a single PAC

2. PACs may directly contribute up to:

• $5,000 to a candidate

Contributions & 2008 Election(Hard Money: contributions to political parties & to

individual House & Senate Candidates)

• Democrats raised: $780.5 million• Republicans raised: +$640.8 million

$1,421,3 ($1.42 billion)

The money was raised between 1/07-12/08

Source: fec.gov disclosure map http://www.fec.gov/DisclosureSearch/mapHSApp.do

For the 1992 election they combined to raise:

$514 million

Loopholes In The System

• “527 Accounts”

– No limits on contributions to 527 Account organizations

– But only “independent” advertisements are allowed

• Citizens United Decision

– Supreme Court decision allowed corporations to spend money on “independent” advertisements

Opponents of Supreme Court decision gather

outside the Court building

NPR Story (10/14/2010)

• http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=130569589&m=130572270

The Impact

Negative Spending

• Spending money to attack the credibility or political stances of an opponent

2008 Election (Anti-McCain)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2reDdPPCQ0

2008 Election (Anti-Obama)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHXYsw_ZDXg

1964 Election (Lyndon Johnson)“Daisy Ad”

Interest Groups, Lobbying & Money

I. IntroII. Interest Groups: DefinitionIII. Types

A. Public & Private • NRA, AARP

IV. TacticsA. Direct LobbyingB. Indirect Lobbying

• Civil DisobedienceC. $$$: Limits & Loopholes

Key Terms• Interest Groups• Telephone Tree• Mailings• PAC • MoveOn.org• EMILY’s LIST• McCain/Feingold• 527 Accounts• Citizens United• Negative Spending