Pressure Groups

Question 1

What is amicus curiae?

Answer 1

Friends of the court who provide evidence in cases

Example: American Psychological Association argued in favour of same sex through scientific evidence in Obergerfell vs Hodges

Question 2

How can pressure groups use legal challenges?

Answer 2

Especially in the Supreme Court in issues such as civil rights

Examples: NAACP, Brown vs Topeka

Question 3

What is the revolving door?

Answer 3

People going from corporations to lobbying groups to federal gov
Government employees gain 1200% pay rise in lobbying firms

Question 4

How much was spent on lobbying in 2019 by pressure groups?

Answer 4

Chamber of commerce: $77 mil
Facebook: $17 mil

Question 5

How much does big tech spend on campaigns in 2021?

Answer 5

Facebook $20 mil
Amazon $19 mil

Question 6

What is an example of a pressure group using public pressure?

Answer 6

AFL-CIO publishes congress representatives’ voting record so their constituents can vote in favour of pro-union legislators

Question 7

How much was spent on lobbying in 2010?

Answer 7

$3.51 billion
Mostly from pharma companies opposed to medical reforms under Affordable Care Act

Question 8

What are some examples of judicial attempts at regulation?

Answer 8

Lobbying Disclosure Act 1995
Honest Leadership and Open Government Act 2007

Question 9

How has use of amicus briefs changed over time?

Answer 9

1950s only one brief
2019-20 there were 16
Obergerfell there were 148 submitted due to high profile nature

Question 10

Which act aimed at reducing the financial influence of pressure groups?

Answer 10

Federal Election Campaign Act 1974 stopped PAC from giving >$5000

Question 11

What is the ratio of business:trade union PACs?

Answer 11

5:1
In 1997 labour contributed only 57% of the total contributed by business PACs

Question 12

Which act ensured lobbyists were clearly identified?

Answer 12

Lobbying Disclosure Act 1995
Number of registered lobbyists jumped by 37% in a year

Question 13

What was spending on lobbying worth in 1998? What what was it in 2020?

Answer 13

$1.42bn in 1998
$3.53bn in 2020

Question 14

What are the newly developed - though limited - access points in the UK?

Answer 14

Devolved governments
Westminster still has control over them so they are less effective than american state legislatures

Question 15

What is one factor which increasingly reduces the ability of legislators to scrutinise?

Answer 15

Complex and substantial laws make it difficult to know each piece of legislation fully

Eg: Wall Street Reform act had 380k word

Question 16

What is the average cost of a Reps seat since 1986?

Answer 16

$780,000 in 1986 to $1.6m in 2012

Question 17

How does increasing campaign costs influence pressure groups?

Answer 17

Politicians need to raise more money
Wealthy corporations and donors can use their money to gain meetings and policy influence

Question 18

Why is the role of pressure groups less in the UK?

Answer 18

Parties are stronger and push the mandate
Party whips control policy so american influence of local elections factors in more

Question 19

How does diversity factor into the role of pressure groups?

Answer 19

Religious groups hold influence
13.2% black, 17% Hispanic
Economic inequality and broad range of industry means there are various pressure groups

Question 20

What is the wealth gap in the US?

Answer 20

1% holds 40% if wealth
80% hold 7%

Question 21

What are the American values which promote informal pressure group participation?

Answer 21

Individualism
American dream
Liberty
Pluralism

Question 22

How many lobbyists worked in government?

Answer 22

54% used to work in congress
26% worked in executive

• lobbyists.info

Question 23

Why aren’t MPs lobbied as much as congressmen?

Answer 23

Government introduces bills
Few private member bills succeed
Executive uses whip to demote unfavourable bills

Question 24

How does the American legislative process increase lobbying points compared to the UK?

Answer 24

Standing committees are used earlier than UK public bill committee
Small standing committees are small which means lobbying can be focused

Question 25

Why might legislators seek lobbyists during the legislative process?

Answer 25

Gaining help and expertise in the bill May be used for polling/electioneering

Question 26

Who were the biggest PAC donors in 2012?

Answer 26

Single issue groups - 68m Labour groups - 60m

Question 27

How do lobbyists directly influence votes in congress?

Answer 27

Provide voting cues which direct congressmen according to what pressure groups seek to support Example: NRA publicly grades how members vote according to gun rights

Question 28

How are federal agencies an access point?

Answer 28

Agency first has to propose a regulation to the public Pressure groups can appeal regulation through judicial review

Question 29

How did banks lobby agencies reduce the impact of Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform act?

Answer 29

Only half of regulations required were written by 2014 JPM and Goldman Sachs met with agencies 356 times in 2 years

Question 30

Evidence of increasing pressure group using amicus curiae

Answer 30

Brown v Topeka had only 6 briefs in 1950s; 23% of cases had one Moore v harper had 69 in 2022; 96% of cases had one

Question 31

How does nomination of justices increase access points?

Answer 31

President can be lobbied: GW Bush was lobbied by 70 groups for John Roberts

Question 32

How did liberal groups use public opinion against Robert Bork’s nomination?

Answer 32

Planned Parenthood full page newspaper ad People for the American Way said Bork defended poll tax in tv ads

Question 33

Example of outsider pressure groups using public opinion

Answer 33

Mothers Against Drunk Drivers use media to gain public emotional appeal 600,000 donors and volunteers by 1985 Alcohol fatalities reduced by 40% by 2000 729 state laws about drink driving Minimum drinking age act 1984

Question 34

Direct action example

Answer 34

Civil rights movement 1963 March on Washington gained 250,000 people Montgomery Bus Boycott 1955

Question 35

Examples of anti abortion group using confrontational direct action

Answer 35

Operation Rescue issue wanted posters for abortion staff bombing of abortion clinics

Question 36

Devolved state initiatives example

Answer 36

Colorado proposition 105 Vote on labelling GMO foods

Question 37

How can pressure groups remove congress people?

Answer 37

Recall elections allow removing and re-electing member Example of colorado gun rights organisations recalling democrat

Question 38

What are three reasons a pressure group should be regulated?

Answer 38

Transparency in their intentions Accountability Elitism and the revolving door syndrome Corruption in exchange of money for legislation

Question 39

What was the first law intending to regulate lobbyists?

Answer 39

Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act 1946 Had to register with SoS and clerk of house of reps Had to declare income and interests

Question 40

How did the Supreme Court reduce regulation in 1954?

Answer 40

Only applied law to those directly discussing with congressmen Contact with staff of the member was unregulated

Question 41

Which scandal led to reform of lobbing?

Answer 41

Wedtech Scandal Small business gained relatively massive defence contracts Bribery and lobbying shown

Question 42

Which law was a response to the wedtech scandal?

Answer 42

Lobbying Disclosure Act 1995 Defined lobbyists as spending 20% of their time lobbying Large firms had to give information about any client over $5,000

Question 43

Example of corruption & revolving door

Answer 43

2003 Aldridge approved $3bn on F-22 jets 3 months later got job at Lockheed Martin

Question 44

Example of revolving door regarding banking

Answer 44

Paulson worked in Goldman sachs 2006 Paulson came Secretary of the treasury 2008 oversaw TARP in bailing out banks Gave $13bn to GS

Question 45

Legislation which reduces the impact of the revolving door

Answer 45

Ethics in government act 1978 meant executive employees had to wait a year before becoming lobbyists Ethics Reform Act 1989 expanded to congress and staff

Question 46

Example of a professional lobbyist scandal

Answer 46

Jack Abramoff Charged Native American groups $85mn to lobby for them Used the money to give donations to politicians and sometimes went against the NA interests

Question 47

Response to jack Abramoff

Answer 47

Honest Leadership and Open Government Act 2007 Increased wait period to two years Increased disclosure: lobbyists show files every 3 months and fines worth $200,000 Semi annual reports on spending in PACs and candidates Banned free air travel and gifts to candidates

Question 48

What are AstroTurf group?

Answer 48

Lobbyists hide their intentions and act like grassroots group Eg national smokers alliance lobbied against anti smoking laws but was created by a PR firm for Phillip Morris (tobacco firm)

Question 49

Overall, do pressure groups positively or negatively influence participation in the US?

Answer 49

Reduces tyranny of majority Promotes pluralist society to increase participation in such a diverse context **but** it may be argued pressure groups allow elitism through different resources and imbalance in opportunity

Question 50

How might participación in pressure groups not really increase participation?

Answer 50

Sometimes limited Eg AARP has 40 million members and lobbies on issues for elderly Americans Some may have joined due to discounted travel rather than politics

Question 51

How may direct action be undemocratic?

Answer 51

They are forcing the hand of elected representatives but are a small group

Question 52

In 2012 how much of funding came from the top 1%?

Answer 52

68% of super PACs $828mn total

Question 53

How might pressure groups not accurately inform government?

Answer 53

One sided information if one side can’t fund their side Issues such as astroturf groups do not accurately paint a picture of the situation to government

Question 54

How do pressure groups play a role in scrutiny?

Answer 54

Rating legislators according to their voting record ; Politicians rely on financial support and incumbents often gain more spending if they are friendly to lobbyists Revolving door means legislators are less likely to act in favour of people

Question 55

How do pressure groups set the debate and drive agenda?

Answer 55

Examples such as civil rights and MADD provided national conversation ; Many are a small group who want specific change (eg gun rights minorities spending)