Interest Groups

• Social Capital

  shared values that allow people to work together and achieve a goal they all have in common

  An example is through sporting clubs. You will meet people that you will play a sport with and get to know.
• Social Capital

  shared values that allow people to work together and achieve a goal they all have in common

  An example is through sporting clubs. You will meet people that you will play a sport with and get to know.
• Civic Virtue

  good civilized person in terms of government

  voting for elections, following the laws, participating in politics, putting your community before yourself
• Public Interest Groups

  focuses on topics that affect the public, environment, politics, education

  Sierra Club is an example, they are an interest group fighting climate change.
• Economic Interest Groups

  promotes economic interests, business, labor, trade

  The AFL-CIO is an economic interest group because they are a trade union center.
• Lobbyist/Lobbying

  a person who tries to influence government officials and legislators. Lobbyists need to be super good at speaking and persuasion. 

  The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People filed lawsuits in courts challenging segregation laws in the 1900s.
• Grassroots Lobbying

  a person who tries to influence legislators by first influencing the public and affecting the public’s opinion

  an example could be a newspaper that talks about the issue and stuff for the public to read and influence the public
• Amicus Curiae (latin)

  known as “friend of the court” usually volunteers or called in to give advice in court

  Obergefell v. Hodges and the amicus curiae was filed by the American Psychological Association “to support the end of legal restrictions in marriage”
• Free Rider Problem

  Where people benefit from goods and resources without paying for it. 

  For example, there's people that pay for the street lights, but everyone can benefit from them for free.
• Collective Good

  goods that benefit everyone in a group and hard to exclude anyone from the benefit

  example: having a defense force or law. Nobody can be excluded, and you could free ride on it.
• Think Tanks

  Research institutes that perform research on public issues and find ways to solve them

  The CATO institute is a libertarian think tank in Washington DC.
• Coalition Building

  Brings together different parties to work together towards a goal

  The Covid-19 healthcare coalition brought together healthcare organizations, doctors, and more to help fight off the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Franking Privilege

  allows government to send mail to their supporters without paying postage
• Political Action Committees (PAC’s)

  organizations that raise money to influence legislators or other government people 

  An example is the national association of realtors. They are a trade association pac. They support pro-realtor candidates in the US.
• Hard Money vs. Soft Money

  Hard money is donated to candidates but must be spent under government laws through the federal election commission. Soft money is donated and can be spent how the candidate wants to spend it.
• Pluralism/Pluralistic Theory

  political theory that believes that people with different beliefs, backgrounds, and life styles can coexist in the same society and participate equally. It assumes pluralism leads to decision makers to make decisions for the “common good” of the entire society. It believes that acceptance and integration of minority groups should be protected. It is also applied in culture and religion, and It believes that everyone can share power among groups. 

  The US is a pluralistic society because people of different color and religion live together in a society
• Elite theory

  Theory that small wealthy groups with similar beliefs hold the power. Those elite groups are often made of leaders or policy makers and they control society’s economic, political, cultural, and other aspects. 

  tax policies for top earners, protecting corporate interests over environment and treatment of employees
• Hyperpluralism

  Belief that power is distributed through society. They believe diversity will prevent any group from gaining any dominance. They believe all preferences combine into one, however this is a more exaggerated version of pluralism, where the people become so influential that the government can’t function properly. 

  As congress tries to satisfy the needs of every interest group, PACs, and lobbyists, they get pulled in so many different directions that it prevents action, and people come to the conclusion that the government is broken.
• Disturbance Theory

  belief that interest groups form in response to government actions and changes in society. 

  As the use of cannabis changed years ago, people started forming interest groups to legalize the use of marijuana. Before that, marijuana was even unthinkable.
• Federalist 10

  A strong government will protect our liberties, and faction control

  one of the most highly regarded american documents
• Litigation

  act and process of settling something in court, like a dispute

  divorce, property disputes, civil cases
• The Lobbyist Reform Act of 2006 extends the ban on lobbying contacts by former legislators, elected officers of either chamber, or a legislator from 1 to 2 years
• The Lobbying reform/regulations of 2006 changes the rules of the senate to:

  • Not accept gifts from lobbyists, removing gift ban exceptions
  • Prohibit repayment for traveling by a member
  • Allow travel repayments only from charitable organizations that don't lobby in congress
• The lobbying reform/regulations of 2006 also amends the federal election campaign act of 1971, prohibiting political committees from being authorized if a lobbyist is involved
• NRA

  Stands for national rifle association. They believe in gun rights.

  The NRA lobbies, takes legal action, and expresses the right to hunting.
• Sierra Club

  Aims to protect wildlife and other wild places and habitats, wants clean air and water, and wants to stop climate change.

  Protected 439 parks, winning passage of the Clean Air and Endangered Species Act, changing 281 coal plants and replacing them with clean energy, secured the right for every kid to visit a national park.
• AFL-CIO

  American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. They are a national trade union center. They are the largest federation of unions in the United States. 

  union members created workplace standards, increases to minimum wage, advocating for fair tax and affordable healthcare.
• Planned Parenthood

  Group with belief that women should have access to all care they need to live good lives, and prevent the politicians from taking those rights away

  Their services provide preventive care, birth control, testing and treatment for STI, screening for cancer, and does other things relating to reproductive healthcare
• AARP

  American Association of Retired Persons. They focus on issues affecting older people, particularly over the age of 50

  They fought age discrimination in employment.
• NAACP

  national association for the advancement of colored people. Their goal is to bring justice and equal rights for all people

  waged legislative battles, published important statistics, organized protests, all trying to bring an end to violence
• NOW

  National Organization for Women. They have a commitment to racial justice, reproductive rights, and want equal rights for everyone. 

  going for tougher laws against harassment, promoting reproductive rights, adding LGBTQ rights, prioritizing racial justice
• ACLU

  The American Civil Liberties Union is a human rights organization that defends the rights to people given by the United States Constitution and the laws in this country. 

  fights government abuse, defends individual freedoms such as religion, a woman’s right to choose, and more