Interest Groups (Pressure Groups)
Study Guide .2
A DEFINITIONS
AND INTRODUCTION
Interest groups
(also called pressure groups) are organizations that seek to influence
government decision-makers to adopt policies to benefit their members. People with similar ideals join an interest
group to pressure government to meet their demands. Interest groups can make or break an election for a candidate,
party, or proposition; therefore, political parties seek their support.
A1 What is another name for interest groups?
A2 What do interest groups seek to influence?
A3 Why do political parties seek them out?
A4 Why do certain people feel it necessary to join a
particular interest group?
A5 What has drawn interest groups into politics?
A6 What effect can interest groups have?
B. FACTORS
ENCOURAGING THE FORMATION OF INTEREST GROUPS IN THE U.S.
Increased specialization (in society) usually
means the government tries to control the relations among groups. With the changes in campaign finance laws
and other reforms that weakened party
structure, major parties try to appeal to different interest groups in their
election bid. Interest groups may seek
to influence decisions by the three
branches of government which are the legislative, executive and
judicial. Groups can influence court
decisions or lobby the senate. The
federal and state levels reflect the policy performance of the strongest and
best-organized interest groups. There
are over 80,000 local government
bodies, including school districts, and special districts, as well as cities
and counties.
B1 Who can influence court decisions?
B2 When the government tries to control the relations among
groups is called?
B3 What had weakened party structure?
B4 Because
the major parties have weakened, what do they do to ensure their
election
bid?
B5 What are the three branches of government?
B6 What can interest groups influence?
B7 What policy performance of interest groups do the federal
and state levels reflect?
B8 What makes up the 80,000 local governing bodies?
C METHODS/TECHNIQUES
OF LOBBYING
Lobbying is
an attempt to influence legislation on behalf of an interest group. Their techniques are: Contacting
- with public officials through meetings, telephone calls, mail, fax and e-mail, Contributing to officials’ campaigns by funds, loans and
volunteering, Gaining Office – run
for public office to have direct influence over legislation beneficial to their
interest, Publicizing – during
Senate and House floor action on a bill, lobbyists gather outside the chambers
to keep a close watch on events and bring pressure if needed, Promoting social movements by joining with other
interest groups with different concerns they can lobby different legislators.
C1 An attempt to influence legislation on behalf of an
interest group is called what?
C2 How can interest groups contact public officials?
C3 What are ways of contributing to officials’ campaigns?
C4 How can an interest group have direct influence over
legislation?
C5 When lobbyists gather outside chambers watch on events,
bring pressure when needed is called?
C6 How interest groups promote social movements?
D FORMS
OF DIRECT ACTION
If lobbyists are unable to
influence legislators by analysis and argument, they usually use some form of direct action. A march,
rally, protest, or a demonstration may serve as a powerful weapon in the
fight for what they are trying to attain.
More serious action is picketing,
boycotting and strikes. They are
used to force negotiations or to gain sympathy from media or other interest
groups. Civil disobedience is the last form of resistance in the fight for
their beliefs. The first is direct disobedience in which the group
violates the illegal or unjust law. The
last line of defense is indirect disobedience
that violates a law to call attention to something that is not right.
D1 What happens when lobbyists are
unable to influence legislators?
D2 Name four powerful weapons of direct
action.
D3 Name the three serious forms of
direct action?
D4 What are they used for?
D5 What is the last form of resistance?
D6 Name the two types of disobedience?
D7 What type of disobedience violates a
law?
E MEASURING
PUBLIC OPINION/POLLING
The government takes and
evaluates public opinion polls to be
responsive to citizens. Most polling is done by telephone. Another method is a random sample of opinion by questionnaires sent to voters to find
out what they think. When polling is done on a frequent basis to detect
changing opinions (tracking). Schematic
thinking is a viewing the world based on our culture perception. Bias
may result from the way news is presented.
Members of the media often manipulate public opinion with prominence cues such as story placement
or headline size. Pollsters must pay
attention to the wording of questions
so that bias does not occur and that questions do not lead to an expected
answer. Margin of error is a statement of how accurate a number or
measurement is.
E1 Why are public opinion polls taken?
E2 What is most polling done by?
E3 Questionnaires sent to voters to
find out what they think is called?
E4 When polling is done frequent to
detect changing opinions the term used is?
E5 Viewing the world based on culture
perception is called?
E6 What might result by the way in
which news is presented?
E7 Give examples of prominence cues?
E8 Why should a pollster pay attention
to the wording of questions?
E9 What is a margin of error?
F PROPAGANDA
TECHNIQUES
Propaganda
is an effort to manufacture a “public opinion” favorable to a single
interest. It presents one viewpoint
only, often with half-truths and arguments.
Bandwagon: Propaganda uses the theme “everyone is doing
it” thus playing on the desire of the individual to conform. Positive
or Negative Words: The propagandist
identifies his plans with respectability by appealing to the common emotion of
love, generosity, and brotherhood. Plain Folks: Propagandist uses this device to win confidence and illustrate
they're being publicized or promoted are “just like everyone else.” Testimonial: Propagandist “quotes” a widely-known person
as saying that he/she uses a specific product in the hope that the audience
will follow the advice of the individual.
Card Stacking: Seek to confuse those searching for
facts, evade issues resorting to falsehood and censorship and raising new
issues.
F1 An effort to manufacture a
"public opinion" favorable to a single interest is?
F2 How many viewpoints does it
represent?
F3 Name the five types of propaganda
techniques?
F4 What propaganda technique has the
theme “everyone is doing it”?
F5 What propaganda technique is used to
win confidence?
F6 What propaganda technique is used to
appeal to the common emotion of love?
F7 What technique is used when someone
uses a certain product?
F8 What
technique is used to confuse those searching for facts?
G TYPES
OF INTEREST GROUPS AND THEIR PURPOSES
Agriculture: To encourage survival of viable rural
communities for farmers and promote farm growth. American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) promote quality of life
and profitable farms and ranches , National Grange attract owners of
medium-sized to large enterprises who usually prefer support of
Republicans. National Farmers Alliance
(NFA), National Farmers Organizations (NFO), National Farmers Union (NFU) grow crops. These are for the small farmers and are
Democratic.
G1 What group promote quality of life and profitable farms
and ranches?
G2 What two groups represent the medium to large farms?
G3 What groups would vote Democratic?
G4 What is NFU?
G5 What groups represent small farmers?
G6 The National Grange and the AFBF favor what party?
Business: American Bankers Association (ABA) lawyers
bankers, Business Roundtable, National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) members are factory owners, US Chamber of
Commerce provide help for small business owners these interest groups are
Republican.
G7 What group provide
help for small business owners?
G8 What is ABA?
G9 What party do they favor?
G10 What is NAM?
Education: To improve the conditions of teaching and
learning by enhancing the quality of education. American Federation of Teachers
(AFT) trade union represents workers in education , health service and public
service, California Federation of Teachers (CFT), United Teachers -Los Angeles
(UTLA) they belong to AFL-CIO.
California Teachers Association (CTA), National Education Association
(NEA) to help all students achieve across the U.S. These groups are Democratic.
G11 What groups belong to Education?
G12 What party do they favor?
G13 What is AFT?
G14 What is NEA?
G15 What is CFT?
Environment: To protect the environment that makes up our
land. Greenpeace International, the Sierra Club. Environmental Defense Fund
(EDF) promotes clean air, clean water, nourishing food . These groups tend to be Democratic.
G16 What group promotes clean air, clean water?
G17 What is EDF?
G18 What party do they favor?
Labor Unions: These groups were formed to improve economic
status and working conditions. American
Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organization (AFL-CIO) rights of
workers, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
make sure every member gets a fair deal from the boss and politians,
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW),and the United Farm
Workers (UFW) was founded by Cesar E. Chavez.
These groups are all Democratic.
G19 Who founded UFW?
G20 What is AFL-CIO?
G21 What is UFW?
G22 What party do they favor?
G23 What is IBEW?
Professions: These concerns are with the advancement of knowledge
and improvement of practices in their respective profession. American Bar
Association (ABA) appear in court, American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants (AICPA) Accountants also calculate taxes, American Medical
Association (AMA) Physicans prescribe medicine. These groups are Republican.
American Nurses Association (ANA) assist Doctors are Democratic due to
low wages.
G24 What groups belong to Professions?
G25 What is AMA?
G26 What groups favor Republican?
G27 What is AICPA?
G28 What is ANA?
G29 What group favors Democratic?
Race, Ethnicity, National Origin and Religion: These groups
were formed to protect against discrimination of race. Anti-Defamation League
(ADL), American Indian Movement (AIM), Christian Coalition founded by Pat
Robertson gives Christians a voice in government, Mexican American Legal
Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People (NAACP), National Urban League, Operation PUSH, Rainbow/PUSH
Coalition founder Jesse Jackson , Southern Christian Leadership Conference
(SCLC) founder Martin Luther King protect religion freedom. These groups are Democratic.
G30 What is ADL?
G31 Who was the founder of
SCLC?
G32 What is AIM?
G33 Who was the founder of Christian Coalition?
G34 What is NAACP?
G35 Who was the founder of Operation Push, Rainbow/Push
Coalition?
Single Issue: These groups cover a wide variety of
concerns such as drunk driving, pro-choice vs. pro-life, gun issues and animal
rights activists. American Civil
Liberties Union (ACLU) free speech, individual rights, and National Rifle
Association (NRA) these groups are
Republican. Mothers Against
Drunk Driving (MADD) founded by Candy
Lightner alcohol concerns , Operation Rescue issues about abortion, Public
Interest Research Groups (PIRGS) founded by Ralph Nader, Students Against
Driving Drunk (SADD).
G36 Who was the founder of
MADD?
G37 What is ACLU?
G38 What is NRA?
G39 What two groups favor Republican?
G40 What is MADD?
G41 Who was the founder of PIRGS?
G42 What is SADD?
Women: These groups were formed to protect women’s
rights in the home, workplace and political concerns. Emily’s List founded by Ellen Malcolm help mobolize democratic
women voters across the country, National Organization for Women (NOW) favor
rights for women, Women's Coalition - Democratic
G43 Who was the founder of Emily's List?.
G44 What is NOW?
G45 What party do they favor?
G46 Why were these groups formed?