interest groups

• why are groups significant?

  • large number of access points increases chance to gain influence
  • federal nature means can target change on local level - marijuana legalised on state not federal
  • constitution protects rights of groups to exist
  • increasing political apathy towards main groups of US - shift to issue based voting
  • parties weak and fractious - target factions
• how does group finance impact group significance?

  money crucial to success, hire lobbyists, launch advertising or media campaigns, contribute to the campaigns of politicians who have been sympathetic to their issue.

  e.g., National rifle association made nearly $350 million in 2013 - ran an attack ad against joe manchin following his amendment to a bill on gun control
• how does group membership impact group significance?

  more members a group has - more voters congressional politician has to gain by listening

  more members - more chance to organise events, protests, campaigns etc.

  e.g., American civil liberties union has more than 1.6 million members - wide value base and can represent wide spectrum of voters
• how does expertise impact group significance?

  group with solid experience more likely to offer useful reports

  e.g., NRA has an arm of the organisation dedicated just to lobbying to congress called ILA - aims to educate lawmakers about gun control.
• what is a key example of a lobbyer?

  John Boehner - resigned as speaker in 2016 and joined lobbyists squire patton boggs.

  the lobbyist firm spent nearly $19 million on lobbying in 2016 according to opensecrets
• what was the number of lobbyists in 2024?

  10,632
• what was the total spend in lobbying in 2024 so far?

  $1.13 billion
• how many bills did the NRA lobby on to try and prevent extensive gun control measures in 2016?

  190
• what are other methods to gain influence?

  • legal methods - bring a case to the court - Snyder v Phelps 2011 - ACLU filed a brief in support of free speech
  • protests and demonstrations - women's march on washington NRA in 2017
  • publicity and media - NRA ran an advertising campaign suggesting that if obama's children required armed protection, so did many americans
  • congressional report cards and funding - groups like NRA rate congressmen on their sympathy to their issue - low rating may mean less funding or loss of voters
• what are policy groups?

  groups which try to exert influence over an entire policy area e.g., unidosUS over immigration policy, education, health on behalf of latinos
• what are professional groups?

  one which represents the interest of its areas - similar to unions.

  e.g., national association of broadcasters one of the biggest lobbyist spenders in 2017
• what is a single-issue group?

  exert influence around specific area - e.g., NRA
• what is the league of conservation voters?

  group which aims to protect environment - e.g., lobbied the gov on the keystone pipeline XL bill in 2015
• pressure group scrutinising gov impact on democracy:

  pros

  • interest groups scrutinise gove - protest in own interest
  • success excellent result for limited gov of a liberal democracy and dispersal of power of a pluralist democracy

  cons

  • changing minds of those who have been elected on platform - negative for representative democracy
  • 'buying' access through lobbying contravene idea of 'free and fair' elections in US
• pressure group increasing representation impact on democracy:

  pros

  • social makeup of congress not reflective, interest groups can represent under represented groups

  cons

  • undermines representative democ
  • can encourage tyranny of minority
• pressure groups encouraging participation impact on democracy:

  pros

  • allow the apathetic to be involved in politics which most interests them especially important in the two party system encouraged by the constitutional democracy

  cons

  • illegal participation is inherently illiberal and undermines 'democracy'
• arguments interests group are influential?

  • groups can submit reports to congress on proposed bills
  • can bring cases to supreme court
  • can donate money to campaigns
  • can arrange amicus curiae briefs for supreme court
  • can rate congressional politicians
  • vast range of access points
  • some groups have close relationships giving insider access
  • can provide congress with expert information
• arguments interest groups not influential?

  • unusual for only one group to submit reports for congress - allocating influence difficult ~
  • ultimately supreme court's choice on what cases they will hear
  • direct campaign contributions are limited
  • supreme court can only make rulings on basis of constitution
  • power of incumbency suggests campaigns are of limited value
  • number of insider groups limited
• what are the similarities in the power of interest groups?

  • both access members of executive and legislature through lobbying
  • free media means groups can buy advertising or use stunts to gain media attention
• what are the differences in the power of interest groups?

  • court cases more commonly brought by interest groups in USA and supported by them in the UK
  • size of USA makes mass protests more complex than in the UK
• what are the similarities in the influence of interest groups?

  • both can give evidence to committees in legislative branch
  • groups in both countries use courts to exert influence on gov
  • groups in both countries have more influences if they have more money/members
• what are the differences in the influence of interest groups?

  • groups in USA have SC as final court of appeal, UK groups can go to ECHR or ECJ to achieve ends
  • judicial rulings in UK can be ignored by gov
  • greater number of access points in USA means greater chance of achieving influence