Interest groups

• Economic interest groups - Largest quantity of interest groups , includes big business , National Association of manufacturers NAM and big labour , American federation of labour and congress of industrial organisation AFL CLO
• Example of business interest group?

  National association of manufacturers NAM
• Example of labour interest groups?

  American federation of labour and congress industrial organisation AFL - CIO
• What are public interest groups?


  Interest groups which do not financially gain from policy lobbying but rely on donations . Supposedly bipartisan
• What are government interest groups?


  Interest groups bringing issues of local and state govt to congress e.g National governors association .
• Civil rights interest groups - groups ​that advocate for civil rights​ e.g National organisation for women ( NOW )
• Controversies of pressure groups?

  • Campaign donations may put pressure on congressmen to please donors
  • Lobbying benefits wealthy groups that can afford to hire lobbyists
  • Iron triangles - Protection of policies and programmes benefiting the wealthy
  • Infiltration of federal bureaucracy largely by corporate interests
  • Direct action may divert democracy e.g blocking abortion clinics
• Why is congress most likely to respond to pressure group activity?

  • Power of congress over money and legislation
  • Cost of elections may cause accepting pressure group donations
  • 535 potential points of entry
  • Regulations on donations can easily be circumvented
• Factors making congress less likely for pressure groups to succeed in?

  • Veto power of the president
  • Limited ability for congress to act coherently
• Factors which make the executive branch most successful for pressure group influence

  • Presidents power to set up political agenda
  • Presidents power to persuade congress ' Bully pulpit '
  • Power to issue executive order
• Factors which make the executive branch less likely for pressure group influence

  • Not likely to access the president himself
• Factors making the judiciary most likely for pressure group success

  • Power of SCOTUS over constitutional rulings
• Factors making the judiciary less likely for pressure group success

  • Difficulty of getting a case heard
  • Uncertainty of achieving the correct verdict
  • Court decisions may well be ignored