Pressure groups

Question 1

Umbrella groups example

Answer 1

US chamber of commerce. They represent 300,000 businesses and have spent more than $301 million lobbying in 2009-10.

Question 2

Political groups example

Answer 2

The Christian Coalition- Will seek to promote ‘family values’ across a wide range of issues. They will offer advice to those involved in the political system and mobilise their members.

Question 3

Sectional groups example

Answer 3

American Bar Association- The ABA will often liaise with the executive and legislature on issues pertaining to the legal system. They will also issue reports on Supreme Court nominees

Question 4

Single issue group example

Answer 4

National Rifle association- The National Rifle Association, which campaigns against all forms of gun control and seeks to defend second amendment rights, has a substantial income and spends over $3 million on lobbying, often making a campaign donation to both candidates.

Question 5

Types of sectional/interest groups

Answer 5

Business groups – represent companies in a similar industry. Alliance of automobile manufacturers
Professional groups – represent individuals in a similar industry. American medical association
Labour groups-represent skilled/unskilled workers, united auto workers
Agricultural groups- represent the interest of famers, NFU

Question 6

Types of causal/promotional groups

Answer 6

Single issue groups – NRA
Ideological groups- American Civil liberties union
Group Rights- NACCP
Public Interest- Friends of the earth

Question 7

US constitution protecting pressure groups- First amendment

Answer 7

Upholds the right to free speech, as well as the right to assemble and petition the government. This directly protects the rights of interest groups, allowing them to assemble in other words take collective action and also petition in other words lobby.

Question 8

US constitution protecting pressure groups- NAACP v Alabama 1958

Answer 8

Alabama claimed the group was causing too much political upheaval within the state telling them to hand over a list of their members. The Supreme Court however ruled that this infringed on the freedom of the associations as it would deterred people from joining-here they use the due process clause of the 14th amendment.

Question 9

how does the constitution create increased access points?

Answer 9

The separation of powers gives a large number of access points. The checks and balances also provide more access points, as a defeat in one branch means pressure groups can still have success else where. Congress is a bicameral legislature, with the two houses equal in power, so pressure groups can focus on representatives and senators to push through legislation.

Question 10

How did the expansion of federal government give pressure groups more opportunities?

Answer 10

The new deal and the Great Society in the 1930s and 60s expanded the role of the federal government. The government takes more responsibility more interests are impacted by policy, so there are more opportunities to lobby for federal policies.
Members of Congress are not experts on every issue, they rely on the lobbyist representing interest groups who are more than happy to provide evidence.

Question 11

Increased cost of elections 1986-2012 giving opportunities for pressure groups:

Answer 11

In 1986, the average cost of winning a seat in the House of Representatives was around $750,000 whereas in 2012 it was $1,600,000. In 1986 the average winning senator had spent around $6.4 million on their campaign, whereas it in 2012 the average had reached 10.3 million

Question 12

Citizens United v FEC 2010 and pressure groups

Answer 12

Stated that corporations have First Amendment rights and led to the rise of super PACS, who are allowed unlimited donations from individuals, Co operations and trade unions, as long as the money is spent on campaign ads and not given directly to candidates.

Question 13

Religious diversity in America

Answer 13

America’s 52% of people identify as Protestants 23% identify as Catholic 2.1% identify as Mormon 1.7% identify as Jewish 0.6% identify as Muslim and 2.6 identify as other non Christian religions -as of 2012.

Question 13

Racial diversity in America

Answer 13

77.7% of people being white 13.3% being black 17.1% being Hispanic or Latino 5.3% being Asian 1.2% being Native American 0.2% being native Hawaiian and 2.4 being members of other racial groups.

Question 13

Which law makers have the NRA given heavily to and how much?

Answer 13

Give heavily to law makers: Mitt Romney has received over 13 million in his career from the
NRA, Richard Burr has received approximately 6.9 million and Thom Tillis has received over 4
million

Question 13

Who did the NRA support in 2016 and how much did they donate?

Answer 13

In the 2016 election, the NRA supported Trump and spent over $60 million in support of
Trump, donated to 223 republican congressional races, just 9 democrat congressional race

Question 13

The NRA membership

Answer 13

5 million membership. 2017 research found that 19% of gun owners consider themselves as NRA members.

Question 14

Economic diversity in America

Answer 14

Most unequally advanced economies in the world with the wealthiest 1% possessing 40% of the nation’s wealth and the bottom 80% having just 7% of the nation’s wealth.

Question 14

Evidence of the NRA being a success:

Answer 14

U.S. has arguably had no major gun restrictions since their establishment
despite thousands of mass shootings, the number of states that do not allow concealed carry
fell from 14 to 0 from 1990- 2019, some of which can be attribute to success of NRA

Question 14

NRA success in legal case 2008

Answer 14

e DC vs Heller in 2008 they
filed an amicus brief and continually sided with Heller, leading to success, as the court held
that the second amendment gives an individual the right to a gun

Question 14

American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) role

Answer 14

Bipartisan organization, advocates pro-Israel policies to Congress and the executive branch.
Founded in 1963, headquarters with Washington D.C

Question 15

AIPAC membership and offices

Answer 15

AIPAC states it has over 100,000 members, with 17 regional offices

Question 15

AIPAC spending 2018

Answer 15

In 2018, AIPAC members spent money on 269 representatives and 57 senators, gave to
democrats in a 2:1 ratio, spent approximately $3.5 million in the election cycle, spending
over $53 million on campaigns since 1998 (members)

Question 15

AIPAC lobbying spending

Answer 15

• every year since
  2014 AIPAC has spent north of 3 million to lobby federal government, and has spent over $15
  million on congressional visits to Israel since 2000

Question 16

NAACP membership

Answer 16

over 500,000

Question 17

NAACP recent sucess

Answer 17

a number of campaigns
have focused on increasing black turnout in election- voter turnout was the highest among
African Americans since 2012, especially in key states- for example, there has been an over
25% increase in black voter registration in Georgia since 2016, leading to Biden winning the
traditionally Republican state in 2020, and Democrats winning key Senate races in the state,

Question 18

NAACP key case

Answer 18

The NAACP effectively challenge the Supreme Court in 1954 with the brown V Board of Education case which ended segregation in schools.

Question 19

NAACP efforts to increase voter turn out 2020

Answer 19

To increase voter turnout in the 2020 election, NAACP volunteers made 675,000 calls to
potential voters, sent over 4.5 million pieces mails

Question 20

American medical association role

Answer 20

AMA claims to represent the interests and values of doctors in the US, AMA is the third largest lobbying organization of the last 20 years, AMA has nearly every
healthcare reform proposal of the last century

Question 21

AMA spending

Answer 21

Spends approximately 20 million lobbying federal government, judicial branch, and congress
annually.
Since 1998, the AMA has spent 462 million dollars on lobbying

Question 22

What % of lobbyists used to work in the executive branch 2012?

Answer 22

In 2012, a survey conducted by lobbyist info found that 52% used to work for Congress and 26% used to work for the executive branch

Question 23

why do lobbyists target committee’s?

Answer 23

Lobbyists target committees as thousands of bills are submitted to Congress each year but very few actually make it through the committees targeting the committees allows for pressure groups ideas to actually become legislation.

Question 24

why do pressure groups spend so heavily on incumbents?

Answer 24

In 2012 91.3% of incumbent senators were re-elected and 89.7% of incumbent representatives were elected

Question 25

why do lobbyists target the executive-thier influence on laws and the clean air act 1970:

Answer 25

the Clean Air Act was passed in 1970 it did not set out how exactly individuals, businesses, state and local governments complied with the law-and this is instead set out by the executive (agencies

Question 26

How many amicus briefs were there in 2012-2013

Answer 26

In the 2012 to 2013 session there were 1001 briefs for 73 cases. In 96% of the cases had at least one brief submitted, and 156 brief was submitted on same sex marriage.

Question 27

Amicus briefs in the 1950s

Answer 27

Whereas in the 1950s 23% of all cases had a brief submitted and on the brown V Board of Education case there were still only 6 briefs.

Question 28

How did pressure groups influence Regan’s nomination of Bork?

Answer 28

The opposition of interest groups to Robert Bork’s nomination by President Ronald Reagan after he had criticised the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Griswold V Connecticut 1965, was a key part of him not being elected.

Question 29

MASS sucess in using grass roots/indirect lobbying

Answer 29

. Candy litters 13 year old daughter was struck and killed by a drunk driver, and MADD marched and collected signatures, wrote letters and gave interviews on TV to protest against drunk drivers. By 1985 there were 320 chapters of MADD across the country and 600,000 volunteers and by 2000 alcohol related fatalities had dropped by 40%.

Question 30

Non violent direct action in the civil rights movement

Answer 30

. The 1963 March on Washington for jobs and freedom was one of the largest political rallies in American history where Martin Luther King delivered his famous I have a dream speech. Montgomery bus boycott began 1955 after rosa parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger.

Question 31

Civil disobediance- Greensboro sit in

Answer 31

February 1st 1960, when four black students refused to leave a whites only lunch counter.

Question 32

Voter registration drives 1962

Answer 32

in 1962 less than 7% of Mississippi’s eligible black voters were registered to vote. In the freedom summer of 1964 a large voter registration project in Mississippi led by civil rights groups took place.

Question 33

Violent direct action 1963

Answer 33

Sunday 15th September 1963, white supremacists in Alabama bombed the 16th street Baptist church in an attempt to intimidate civil rights campaigners

Question 34

Operation rescue violent direct action

Answer 34

an anti abortion group that would block and occupy Women’s Health clinics. They issued wanted posters of abortion providers and listed home addresses. Some clinics have even been bombed

Question 35

using direct democracy- the iniative process

Answer 35

Colorado State Senate recall September 10th 2013-voters in District 3 and 11 recalled 2 Democrats from the state Senate after a grassroots recall campaign began for the Democrats supporting knew gun control legislation for the state.

Question 36

federal regulation of lobbying act 1946

Answer 36

required lobbyist to register with the clerk of the House of Representatives and the secretary of the Senate.

Question 37

United States v Harriss 1954

Answer 37

Supreme Court argued that rules only apply to lobbyists directly communicating with members of Congress about pending or proposed legislation. Contact for any other purpose could go unregulated as could any contact with congressional executive staff.

Question 38

Lobbying Disclosure Act 1995

Answer 38

defined A lobbyist as someone who is paid to make more than one lobbying contact or spends at least 20% of their time lobbying.
Large lobbying firms had to give information about their lobbying activities for each of their clients paying over 5000 $. Organisations that spent over $20,000 in six months on their own in-house lobbyists had to report their spending

Question 39

example of the revolving door syndrome in 2003:

Answer 39

2003- Edward C Aldridge- undersecretary of defence. Approved the purchase OF20F22 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin for $3 billion. Journalists reported that Aldridge had previously been critical of The Jets as they were running over budget and his new job was as a board member of Lockheed Martin.

Question 40

Henry Paulson as an example of the revolving door and the influence of previous employment:

Answer 40

2006- Henry Paulson chosen as the new secretary of the US treasury- previous job-chief executive officer of Goldman Sachs.
2008-Paulson oversaw the troubled asset relief programme which bailed out struggling banks-Goldman Sachs received almost 13 billion in the bailout funds.

Question 41

failures to regulate the revolving door syndrome? increased numbers:

Answer 41

In 1973, only 3% of retiring members of congress became lobbyists, but by 2013 50% of retiring senators became lobbyists and 42% of retiring representatives became lobbyists.

Question 42

What key issues have been defeated at a federal level, but have had success at a state level?

Answer 42

Gay marriage has been legalised in 19 states, three of which after referendum. In June 2014 Seattle City Council voted to raise the city’s minimum wage to $15.00 an hour. And in Colorado and Washington the sale of marijuana was legalised in 2012.

Question 43

what key movement failed despite receiving popular support due to disorganisation?

Answer 43

The Occupy Wall Street movement 2011 (we are the 99%) . Protesters wanted to make decisions democratically however this made it hard to agree on a clear agenda.

Question 44

The impact of lobbying from the national automobile dealers association to defeat the lemon law:

Answer 44

those who received more than 4000 from NADA PAC 1979-82, 90.2% voted against, compared to 34.2% of those who received $0.00.

Question 45

NRA’s failuires and speanding in 2012

Answer 45

in 2012 the NRA spent 11,000,000 supporting or opposing candidates but achieved its favourite results in less than 1% of these elections.

Question 46

strengths of groups having large memberships:

Answer 46

the AARP has 40 million members and the NRA has 5 million members. These groups can give voting cues and scorecards which have a much greater impact on the outcome of elections.

Question 47

how can strengths of opposition determine pressure group success: gun control

Answer 47

although over 90% of Americans are in favour of mandatory background cheques on anyone buying a firearm, background cheques were defeated in the Senate in 2013.

Question 48

low turn out and participation making pressure groups more important:

Answer 48

57.5% of the VEP voting in 2012. Additionally due to the first past the post system and gerrymandering, there are many wasted votes in America and there are very few competitive races.

Question 49

pressure group lobbying to increase turnout: AARP

Answer 49

The AARP, for instance, lobbies on issues affecting elderly Americans, sending voting cues to Congress and scorecards to mentors. This pressure group has 40 million members

Question 50

example of how pressure groups give the wealthy more power: funding 2012

Answer 50

Of the $828,224,700 collected by super PACs in the 2012 election, the top 1% of donors accounted for 68% of the money donated.

Question 51

honestly leadership and open government act 2007

Answer 51

The honest leadership and open government Act 2007 requires lobbyists to file reports on their lobbying activity every three months and financial reports every six months.

Question 52

honesty, leadership and open government act 2007 failiure:

Answer 52

In 2008 there was 3627 lobbyist the registered and in 2009 there were 1467 lobbyists deregistered.