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CHAPTER 12: INTEREST GROUPS/PRESSURE GROUPS
AND POLITICAL FUNDING (pp.
333-359 and 21-26, 324-328, 364)
I. Definition: an interest group (or pressure group or non-governmental
organization) is an organization that
seeks to influence what government does
and does not do so that members of the groups will benefit / p. 334
KEY IDEA: People are often angry
at benefits others receive from government; they give less attention to the
benefits they receive.
II. Bases of interest group formation
A.
Economic/occupational concerns (including employers, employees
professionals, farmers, corporations,
recipients of public assistance)
B.
Racial/ethnic/religious/gender/age concerns / p. 355 [top]
C.
Concerns of other particular groups (including students, veterans,
gun owners, residents of a particular
neighborhood, region or state, government entities or officials) /
p. 340 [top
D.
Moral/legal concerns or ideas of improving life in the U.S. / p. 357F
E.
Foreign policy concerns/foreign governments
III. Factors encouraging the formation of
interest groups in the U.S. / pp.
336-337
A.
Tradition of non-governmental
cooperation through voluntary association
(described by
Alexis de Tocqueville, in Democracy in America in the 1830’s)
B.
Increasing specialization of
post-industrial U.S. society / pp. 336, 341
C.
Weak, uncohesive, and
undisciplined major parties that seek to appeal to people of many interests
/
pp. 276, 300, 336
D.
Operation of three branches of
government (created by the principal of separation
of powers) /
pp. 341, 355 and 60F, 265. 838
E. Operation of two levels of government (federal system created
by principle of federalism) / 340,
341, 602
F.
Operation of over 80,000 local
governments / pp. 66-67, 340 [top]
KEY IDEA: interest
groups may seek to influence decisions by the legislative, executive,
and judicial branches at the national, state and local levels
of government as well as influence the major political parties and public
opinion in general / pages 339F, 838.
Bribery is illegal at all
levels, S101, S104
IV. Methods/techniques of lobbying
A.
Contacting public
officials: in person, by telephone,
fax, e-mail, postcard, and letter
B.
Contributing: funds, loans, equipment, publicity,
volunteers
C.
Gaining office through
election or appointment (overlapping membership / pp. 335, 344)
D.
Publicizing interest group
views by influencing party platforms and
molding public opinion / 339F
E.
Promoting social movements -- joining with groups and
individuals sharing goals to engage
mass
mobilization, protest,
demonstration, and other forms of direct
action and civil disobedience
1. Anti-slavery movement 5. Labor movement, p. 398, LAT 9-6-99, A1
2. Farmers/populist movements 6. Civil rights movement / pp. 109, 246, 255, 398
3. Women’s movements (suffragist and feminist) 7.
Environmental movement / pp. 357F
4. Pro-life movement and pro-choice movement / pp. 99, l00F, 101
[state requirement of parent consent for
a minor], 115, 140, 150F [veto/veto
override] 198, 211- 212, 226, 234, 260,
262, 265, 266, 278-280
[party loyalty], 281F
[party platforms], 328, 378
V. Forms of direct action sometimes used by
interest groups alone and as part of
coalitions in social movements/
protest, p. 398, center (also
http://cep.org/protest.html)
A.
Demonstration/rally/march/protest/mass mobilization
B.
Picketing/boycott/strike
C.
Civil disobedience (e.g. tax resistance, freedom ride, sit-in)
1.
Direct: violating the law
considered illegal or unjust
2.
Indirect: violating a law to
call attention to an injustice
TERMS:
lobby [noun and verb] S84, S98;
lobbyist/organizer / pp. 342-345, S107;
labor union; union, caucus, conference, congress, association; political action committee (PAC) / pp. 321F,
325F, 326F, 324-328, 337#5, 350F, 358; S102#6,
S105, *S106; hard money; soft money;
public interest research group (PIRG) /pp. 25F and 337#8; amicus curiae / pp. 355 and 265
[top]referring to the N.A.A.C.P. and A.C.L.U.; pluralist view that
“organization begets counter-organization;”“revolving door” government service
and employment by a group that lobbies the gov’t
2/9/00