5.3 Interest groups in USA Flashcards
(48 cards)
1
Q
3
List the 3 types of interest groups in the USA
A
- Single-issue group
- Professional group
- Policy group
2
Q
3
Describe single-issue groups
A
- Campaign on specific policy issue with narrow scope
- e.g. NRA - fights for rights on gun owners
- e.g. Sandy Hook Promise - advocates for gun control
3
Q
4
Describe professional groups
A
- Represents interests of its members in legislation: workers, professionals, industry
- Often professional associations
- Cover wide array of areas within relevant field to industry
- e.g. American Farm Bureau Federation - influence agricultural policy, but also immigration reform, tax, etc
4
Q
3
Describe policy interest groups
A
- Interested in influencing entire policy area e.g. FP, environment
- Members may not be direct beneficiaries, but share ideological belief
- Environment America - push for rnewable enrgy, wildlife conservation, clean air, etc
5
Q
4
List the factors that affect the success of interest groups in the USA
A
- Money
- Membership
- Access
- Circumstances - national events give issues more support or media attention
6
Q
2
How does money affect the success of interest groups in the USA?
A
- Groups with significant funding can make campaign contributions, hire expensive lobbyists and afford grassroots campaogns
- 2020 - NRA spent $4.2m supporting Trump and $12.2m opposing Biden
7
Q
2
Describe a limit to the influence of money on interest group success
A
- 2020-21, NRA spent $4m on Georgia Senate special elections
- Yet Democrats won both races
8
Q
3
How does membership affect the success of interest groups in the USA?
A
- Large group can mobilise many voters to pose significant threat to Congress member up for re-election
- Important given short election cycle
- Expertised membership is more likely to be listened to by elected officials
9
Q
4
How does access affect the success of interest groups in the USA?
A
- Those with access to/support of politicans hold greater influence
- Retired Congress members + former congressional staff
- Provide connections and expertise of legislative process
- 2022, 453 former members of Congress worked as lobbyists/senior advisors
10
Q
5
Describe the methods of interest groups
A
- Lobbying
- Report cards
- Campaign donations
- Protests
- Legal methods
11
Q
4
Describe lobbying as an interest group method
A
- Provide groups with access or useful information
- Tactics: meetings, draft legislation and win congressional sponsor
- Target Cabinet/SC appointments
- e.g. NAACP gave evidence on Jeff Sessions’ credentials for Attorney General role at hearings upon Trump nomination
12
Q
1
Give an example of the revolving door in America
A
When Jon Hoehner left as HoR Speaker, he joined law firm Squire Patton Boggs where he serves as senior strategic advisor
13
Q
5
Describe the argument that interest group methods are effective - lobbying
A
- 2020 election - $3bn spent on lobbying
- Federal nature provides several access points at state and national level
- Can influence SC through amicus curie briefs
- Some groups like NRA have own lobbying arm
- Can provide groups with own useful information to influence politicians
14
Q
2
Give an example of lobbying’s success on legislation
A
- 2013, bill passed HoR to roll back aspects of bank regulatory Dodds-Frank Act
- Langauge used in bill almost identitical to that suggested by Citigroup lobbyists
15
Q
2
Describe the argument that interest group methods are ineffective - lobbying
A
- Congress members more greatly influenced by constituents or party allegiance
- legislative process makes it difficult for bills to be passed
16
Q
3
Describe the argument that interest group methods are effective - report cards
A
- Grade members of Congress on how supportive they are of issue
- Hope iit will influence constituents who place high value on specific issue
- 2016, Bernie Sanders used D- NRA rating as campaign tool
17
Q
4
Describe the argument that interest group methods are effective - campaign donations
A
- ‘electioneering’ - offer endorsement to show candidate is supportive of issues
- Donate to Super-PACs or campaigns to get sympathetic politicians elected
- create campaigns themselves to support/oppose candidates
- League of Conservation Voters - ‘dirty dozen’
18
Q
3
Describe the ‘dirty dozen’
A
- List of 12 worst envrionmental incumbent Congress members
- Published by League of Conservation Voters
- 2020 - 6/12 defeated
19
Q
2
Describe the argument that interest group methods are ineffective - campaign donations
A
- Strict campaign finance laws means that more is spent on lobbying
- NRA publically campaigned against Joe Manchin re-election in 2018, yet Machin won
20
Q
4
Describe the argument that interest group methods are effective - protests
A
- Visbility gains significant media attention
- Demonstrates depth of public support
- May encourage constituents to mass email/write to their Congress member to express opinion
- 2024, CAIR organsied 400k strong march on Washington to protest Israeli military aid
21
Q
3
Describe the argument that interest group methods are ineffective - protests
A
- Disapproval for direct action tactics
- 8% of American population participated in BLM protests, yet little impact
- 2014 People’s Climate March advocated massive defence cuts → subsequently raised by Trump
22
Q
4
Describe the argument that interest group methods are effective - legal methods
A
- Most significant impact in launching court cases that reach SC
- Students for Fair Admissions actually set up as interest group to pursue SC case to strike down affirmative action
- Citizens United successfully challenged FEC campaign finance laws in 2010
- Over 140 amicus curie briefs filed during Dobbs
23
Q
4
Describe the argument that interest group methods are ineffective - legal methods
A
- Requires significant funding and reason to bring case
- SC conservative majority - disadvanatges liberal groups
- American Barr Association wrote amcius curie briefs during Students for Fair Admissions v Havard in support of affirmative action, yet failed
- Number of amicus curie briefs increased by 800% in past 50 years - individually less significant
24
Q
6
List the access points of interest groups to Congress
A
- lobbying
- creating legislation
- give evidence to committee
- report cards
- campaign donations
- electioneering
25
# 3
List the access points of interest groups to the President
* lobbying - including lobbying EXOP/departments
* campaign donations
* electioneering
26
# 4
List the access points of interest groups to SCOTUS
* amicus curiae briefs
- bring cases to SC
* ABA (interest group) has role in appointment process
* give evidence in appt hearings
27
# 4
Describe the AIPAC
* American Israel Public Affairs Committee - lobby group
* Promotes USA-Israel relationship
* But also campaigns on Syrian war, defence issues, etc
* Arguably fits all 3 interest group categories
28
# 4
Describe evidence of AIPAC's influence
* AIPAC caucuses in every congressional district
* Spent $3.5m lobbying in 2023
* Recently procured $26bn in
aid for Israel
* Have donated over $1m to Senator Bob Mendenez (D-NJ) since 2023
29
# 2
Describe limiting evidence of AIPAC's influence
* Blockage of $17.6bn aid package to Israel in 2024
* Recent polls show 65% of 18-24 year olds oppose sending aid to Israel
30
# 3
Describe the arguments that interest groups in the US are influential
* Single-issue
* Professional
* Policy
31
# 4
Describe the argument that interest groups in the US are influential - **single-issue**
* Can focus efforts on single issue
* May hold significant funding and membership e.g. NRA
* NRA membership grew by 5m after Sandy Hook 2012
* 77% conservatives view NRA favourably
32
# 4
Describe the argument that interest groups in the US are not influential - **single-issue**
* Institutions likely to be partisan, which limits influence
* Only 30% liberals view NRA favourably
* NRA spent $40m in 2008, but did little to swing vote
* Pro-choice group NARAL stormed Senate and packed offices of Senators Donnellly, Murkowski, Corker and Grassley to protest Kavanaugh nomination, yet Kavanaugh confirmed
33
# 6
Describe the argument that interest groups in the US are influential - **professional**
* Likely to command expertised membership
* Membership may represent important voting bloc
* AFL-CIO represented over 12m workers in US
* National Retail Federation (NRF) successfully lobbied for Tax Cuts and Jobs Act 2017
* Retail 2nd biggest employer in US
* Large pharamaceutical companies spent $300m lobbying in 2020 - can influence drug prices set for Medicare and Medicaid
34
# 3
Describe the argument that interest groups in the US are not influential - **professional**
* Public opinion and other factors more influential
* NRF attempts to repeal Obamacare repeatedly failed
- NRF only donated $21k in most recent election cycle
35
# 3
Describe the argument that interest groups in the US are influential - **policy**
* Focus on specific policy research and support/opposition
* AIPAC a powerful lobby group
* ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) - fights for protection of vast array of rights
36
# 3
Describe the argument that interest groups in the US are not influential - **policy**
* Ideological opposition to presidency, SCOTUS and balance of Congress
* AIPAC influence
* LCV - Keystone Pipieline
37
# 6
Describe the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and the Keystone XL Pipeline
* LCV opposed Alberta-Houston pupeline
* Spent millions on adverts advocating for/against candidatesin 2010 election cycle
* Thousands spent on lobbying Congress members
* 2015, passed Congress - vetoed by Obama
* 2017, Trump used executive orders to advance development
* 2021, Biden signed executive order to revoke permit
38
# 4
Describe how interest groups use initiatives to influence policy
* Initative placed on ballot if enough citizens in particular state sign petition which interest groups start
* Range from 13k to 300k signatures
* Companies employed to acquire necessary signatures - creates 'price for signatures'
* 2020, Arizona voted to legalise marijuana by 60% to 40% after successful petition by Safe and Smart Arizona
39
# 2
Describe a limit to interest groups using iniatives to influence policy
* Can be costly - groups need significant funding/mobilisation
* 2021, cost avg $14.74 per signature
40
# 3
Describe the arguments that interest groups in the USA are good for democracy
* Representative
* Liberal
* Pluralist
41
# 4
Describe the argument that interest groups in the USA are good for democracy - **representative**
* Interest groups may represent minority groups e.g. NAACP
* Interests might be ignored in plruality election system
* Can encourage members to turnout in elections, increasingly legitimacy of those elected
* e.g. Trump spoke at National Hispanic Leadership Conference in 2022
42
# 3
Describe the argument that interest groups in the USA are bad for democracy - **representative**
* Undermine power and judgement of legitimately elected officials e.g. AIPAC
* Power of interest groups in Congress can create 'tyranny of the majority'
* Gun Owners of America
43
# 5
Describe the argument that interest groups in the USA are good for democracy - **liberal**
* Raise issues about rights e.g. ACLU
* Bring cases to SCOTUS
* Over 140 amicus curie briefs filed in *Dobbs*
* Limit government power
* Wide range of interest groups on directly competing issues promotes tolerance
44
# 5
Describe the argument that interest groups in the USA are bad for democracy - **liberal**
* Free elections undermined by wealth of interest groups
* 2020 - NRA spent $4.2m supporting Trump and $12.2m opposing Biden
* Tolerance of extremist groups undermines rights of other isses
* e.g. Turning Point USA - university campuses
* Use of illegal methods undermine rule of law e.g. NARAL - Kavanaugh
45
# 4
Describe the argument that interest groups in the USA are good for democracy - **pluralist**
* Federal nature provides multiple access points, dispersing power
* Smaller interest groups have success in gaining national attention for issues
* e.g. CIAR shifted attitude on Israel funding (though significant funding bill passed)
* Ensure government responsiveness to public
46
# 3
Describe the argument that interest groups in the USA are bad for democracy - **pluralist**
* Wealthy interest groups have disporportionate power e.g. AARP
* Focus of interest group action is in DC, which uduly centralises power
* Same interest groups seem to retain influence over political process e.g. NRA
47
# 5
Describe the American Association of Retired People (AARP)
* Membership restricted to those age 50+
* Greyvote - high turnout
* Can influence areas with older average population e.g. Florida
* George W Bush expanded medicare due to pressure from AARP
* Though generally non-partisan - does not endorse any candidates
48
# 1
Describe Gun Owners of America
* Spent $3.3m opposing essentially all gun control in 2023
* despite 64% of Americans supporting stricter regulation
