Special Interest Groups
Special Interest Groups. Unit 2 http://www.ncsl.org/public/trust/opinionpoll.htm. Interest Groups. Private organization that tries to persuade public officials to respond to shared attitudes Try to influence public policy (laws) Lobbying Try to influence legislators and laws
Special Interest Groups
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Presentation Transcript
Special Interest Groups Unit 2 http://www.ncsl.org/public/trust/opinionpoll.htm
Interest Groups • Private organization that tries to persuade public officials to respond to shared attitudes • Try to influence public policy (laws) • Lobbying • Try to influence legislators and laws • Lobbyist- activist usually paid by an interest group to promote their positions to legislatures • Lobbyist can also work to change public opinion through advertising campaigns or by influencing 'opinion leaders’
How are they different from Parties? • Don’t nominate candidate • Interested in controlling policiesnot offices • Concentrate on only a few issues and not accountable to the public
Good or Bad? Good • Create an interest in public affairs • Bring people together based on ideas • Provide useful information to Gov’t • Get people involved • Checks and Balances • Create competition
Good or Bad Bad • Too much influence • Who is represented? • Bribery and other corruption
Types of Interest Groups Economic Interests • Business Groups • Labor Groups • Agricultural Groups • Professional Groups Others • Promote Causes • Promote Welfare • Religious http://www.csuchico.edu/~kfountain/alpha.html
http://www.opensecrets.org/lobbyists/clientsum.asp?txtname=Philip+Morris&year=2002http://www.opensecrets.org/lobbyists/clientsum.asp?txtname=Philip+Morris&year=2002 • http://www.opensecrets.org/lobbyists/index.asp
Public Interest Groups • Goals is to benefit all or most people not just a specific group • Focus on issues that all Americans share http://www.illinoispirg.org/ http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_group.php
Political Action Committees (PACs) • Single Interest Groups • Organization established by businesses, labor unions, and other interest groups • Work to financially support political campaigns that support their cause • Over 4,000 PACs registered today • In response to laws limiting union dues to support candidates • Most PAC money goes to incumbents
PACs http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/index.asp
PACs Top 7 Contributors ‘99-’00 • Emily’s List $12,288,422 www.emilyslist.org • NRA Political Victory Fund $10,786,466 www.nrapvf.org • American Federation of State County & Municipal $6,465,424 Employees www.afscme.org • Democrat Republican Independent Voter Education $5,501,792 (International Brotherhood of Teamsters) www.teamster.org
PACs Top 7 Contributors ‘99-’00 • UAW –V-CAP (United Auto Workers) $4,531,700 www.uaw.org • International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Committee on Public Education $4,227,442 www.ibew.com • American Medical Association Political Action Committee $4,021,519 ampaconline.org/default.php
Personal Assetshttp://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/overview.asp?type=W&cycle=2005&filter=S Contribution Limits • http://www.fec.gov/pages/brochures/contriblimits.shtml#fn4