AQA US Comparative Politics: Pressure groups

Question 1

What is pluralism?

Answer 1

Power is dispersed, rather than concentrated in the hands of an elite or class in particular.

Question 2

What type of pressure group is the NRA, and why?

Why is the NRA so powerful? (2)

Answer 2

Insider, because it has strong links with the republican party, which is often said to be ‘in its pocket’

• Has the most committed membership- its 3 million members are so politically active, which makes them powerful
• Some Republican presidents are financially backed by NRA e.g. George Bush was ‘in their pockets’

Question 3

What showed the influence of the NRA?

Answer 3

Obama wasn’t able to pass gun control legislation (such as bills surrounding background checks after Sandy Hook) due to the sheer influence of the NRA over congressmen

Question 4

What is an insider group?

Answer 4

Well funded pressure groups with strong ties to the political establishment

Question 5

How much did facebook spend on lobbying between 2018 and 2019?

Answer 5

$12,620,000

Question 6

Why are pressure groups so popular in the US? (2)

Answer 6

1. There is a lot of disenfranchisement in the US
2. They reflect the diversity of the US population, in a way that parties don’t

Question 7

Why are pressure groups so fundamentally important in the US?

Answer 7

Because they are essentially laid out in the constitution- the first amendment entitles Americans to ‘petition the government for redress of grievances’, which they can do via pressure groups

Question 8

What are sectional groups? + 2 examples

Answer 8

Groups which seek to represent their own section or group within society

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the American Medical Association

Question 9

What are causal groups? + 2 examples

Answer 9

Groups which campaign for a particular cause or issue

National Rifle Association (NRA) and the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL)

Question 10

What are three access points for pressure groups?

Answer 10

Congress, the judiciary and the executive

Question 11

Give an examples of groups lobbying the executive:

Answer 11

Lobbying from Goldman Sachs in the 2008 financial crash held up banking regulations.

Question 12

How do pressure groups lobby the supreme Court, and why? (3)

Answer 12

1. Amicus curiae briefings- a written argument submitted to a court by a person or group who has an interest in the case being considered- opportunity for pressure groups to present their views in writing before oral arguments are heard
2. Pressure groups also often lobby the Senate during the nomination process for the SC- in 2018 many liberal groups, including 88 civil rights organisations, lobbied against Kavanaugh’s nomination e.g. Demand Justice
3. Take cases to court e.g. Brown vs Board

Question 13

How do pressure groups gain most of their funding?

Answer 13

Donations through Super PACs

Question 14

Name 3 arguments FOR pressure groups:

Answer 14

1. They provide legislators and bureaucrats with useful information and provide voting cues during the policy formulation stage
2. They increase the levels of accountability both for Congress and for the executive branch-
   act as a check e.g. the League of Conservation Voters have exposed the donations made by
   oil etc. companies to congressmen and the ACLU
3. They increase the opportunities for representation between elections- particularly for
   minority views and these minority views can get lost in big tent parties

Question 15

Which parties receive most money from which sectors or groups?

Answer 15

Republicans received 89% of donations from the energy and oil sector, whilst the democrats received 99% of labour union donations and

EMILY’s List donated $40 million to democratic candidates

Question 16

What is the iron triangle?

Answer 16

Public policy making relationship between pressure groups, congressional committees and bureaucracy

Question 17

What are the three points in the iron triangle and how do they link?

Answer 17

1. Congressional committees give the bureaucracy (federal agencies) helpful laws, as these agencies create the regulations for laws, and more money
2. Pressure groups congress money and information
3. Bureaucracy give the pressure groups favourable regulations, and in return the pressure groups give the bureaucracy good reviews, ratings and support

Question 18

What is the iron triangle an example of, and why is it a negative of pressure groups?

Answer 18

This triangle is an example of elitism.

• allows for insider and richer groups to make their favourable legislation, and the resultant policy may not protect all individuals

Question 19

What is the revolving door?

Answer 19

People in the legistlaure or bureaucracy can retire and move to become a lobbyist

Question 20

What act has tried to make pressure groups more transparent and accountable?

Answer 20

2007 Honest Leadership and Open Government Act - addressed the revolving door syndrome, and changed the time and space of 1 year for a government
official to join a pressure group after their retirement or losing their incumbency to 2 years

Question 21

Why are some pressure groups more powerful than others?

Answer 21

1. Insider status- access into system
2. Membership
3. Money

Question 22

Why does money make pressure groups more influential? (2)

Answer 22

1. Gain more support in the legislature/bureaucracy
2. Means they can pour money into elections and close races

Question 23

Are pressure groups in the US too powerful
yes (2) (1. citizens united, funding 2.extreme influence NRA)
no (2) (2. cheap movements BLM, Direct action)

Answer 23

YES

Citizens united v FEC 2010 (organisations should be able to spend unlimited on elections, ruled in favour under 1st amendment) increased the role of pressure groups in funding elections which is unpopular with the public
- Trump recieved 30m from the NRA for his campaign in 2016
- Between July and September 2016, Lobbyists raised 11 million for hillary Clinton’s campaign

Some groups are able to develop extreme influence over Congress
- Obama wasn’t able to pass gun control legislation (such as bills surrounding background checks after Sandy Hook) due to the sheer influence of the NRA over congressmen in 2013

NO

Social movements can provide a cheap and effective alternative to the power of wealthy interest groups
eg. BLM protests in 2020 garnered global media attention
- but they weren’t effective in exerting change?

Direct action can lead to putting important issues on the political agenda - used by outsider groups
- march on washington 1963 lead to momentum for the civil rights act of 64

• march on washington can be argued to bet the anomaly =

many have no effect = .g. 2003 SF march, 23,000 people occupied the streets the oppose the Iraq War, had no affect whatsoever

Question 24

3 ways pressure groups can enhance democracy + examples

Answer 24

1. offer representation
   - 5.5 MILLION NRA members 2021 = Obama wasn’t able to pass gun control legislation (such as bills surrounding background checks after Sandy Hook) due to the sheer influence of the NRA over congressmen in 2013
2. Direct access to bureucrats / executives = easier to put stuff on political agenda
   - Lilly Ledbetter fair pay act 2009 - campaigned for equal pay - access to president Obama made this easier
3. Influence policy
   - NAACP tried the Brown v Board of education case in the supreme court (1954) and won

Question 25

3 ways in which pressure groups can influence congress

Answer 25

1. Lobby congress and the committees- trying to change their vote, table amendments at the committee stage
   - eg. Obama wasn’t able to pass gun control legislation (such as bills surrounding background checks after Sandy Hook) due to the sheer influence of the NRA over congressmen in 2013
2. Lobby congress staff- provide information to help them with passing legislation
3. Pressure groups persuade constituents to write to Congressional representatives in order to express their support or opposition for certain policies
   - 2016, 1,500 pressure groups representing environmental causes sent a letter to urge congress to oppose the TPP

Question 26

Is pressure group success dependent on money?
yes (2)
no (1)

Answer 26

wealthy pressure groups dominate political scene
- NRA have been successful in resisting gun control despite 60% of Americans supporting tighter laws
- LCV spent 85m in 2018 to gain back control of democrats

large pressure groups can hire bureacrats through revolving door syndrome
- Scott Galillee, former congressman, moved to FDA and lobbyied on their behalf and in 2017 joined Pharma board of directors

History has shown less weathy groups to still have influence
-NAACP