Pressure Groups Flashcards

Question

Eg of Liberal think tank?

Answer 1

The Brooking Institute

Answer 2

- Representation - Citizen Participation - Public Education - Agenda building - Programme monitoring

Answer 3

- They act as a means by which citizens can have their views represented (i.e. a link between the people and the politicians) - Senators and reps have lots of things to do, so a PG is an appealing way of dealing with lots of views in one sitting

Answer 4

- They provide away for people to participate in politics between elections (national elections only every 2 years) - PGs also allow the public the chance to participate in specific policy issues- e.g. abortion, guns, the environment

Answer 5

-PGs often try and educate, warning people of the potential danger if certain issues aren't addressed (they can make people aware of the problems and solutions)

Answer 6

- They can try and influence the agendas of parties, legislators, and those involved in the decisions - Thye might attempt to collate a variety of groups to achieve a common interest

Answer 7

- They can hold gov into account re the implementation of policies - Some PGs will bring cases to court asking the judiciary to monitor the effects of legislation e.g. National Federation of Independent Businesses vs Sebelius (2012)

Answer 8

Following the McCain-Feingold Act of 2002 (campaign finance reform), the Campaign Finance Institute commissioned several experts report on its impact

Answer 9

- Material benefits (i.e. what you can gain) - Purposive benefits (i.e. what's in it for others) - Solidarity benefits (i.e. interacting with other people with similar beliefs)

Answer 10

If you donate money, you can get... Information- e.g. Sierra Club's magasine, Sierra (alongside discounts to merchandise, outdoor trips etc) Duffel bag- NRA (and a free subscription to magazine of your choice e.g. Shooting Illustrated) Discounts to shops- e.g. NRA and United&Hertz Service benefits- American Farm Bureau Federation in CA offers reduced insurance

Answer 11

Many want to make their country better Eg membership to Amnesty International- altruist; highlighting the abuse to human rights and hoping to foster pressure about this on public opinion Generally it is wealthier members

Answer 12

Groups with these tend to hold local meetings where members attend (these form what are known as local chapters) - You might join a press group to meet local fellow enthisiasts

Answer 13

- Electioneering and endorsement - Lobbying - Publicity - Grassroots activity

Answer 14

Organisations tha collect money from members and give to candidates/parties that support their interests They can give 5k per candidate per election and up to 15k annually to any party committee PACs are basically PGs

Answer 15

They want to get the most out of their money- esp business group PACs give an overwhelming proportion of their money to incumbents Labour groups do the same while ideological groups might not

Answer 16

PGs actively supporting/opposing candidates in policy areas they're directly interested in

Answer 17

National Right to Life endorsed Trump while NARAL endorsed Clinton

Answer 18

Eg The League of Conservation Voters publishes, every 2 years, its 'Dirty Dozen' list of Congressional candidates with the least environmentally friendly records

Answer 19

in 2016- four out of 12 of the people in the list were defeate BUT correlation or cause and effect? i.e. names were only added to the list after candidates were known to be likely to be defeated

Answer 20

In 2008, the American Association of Retired Persons put 10 Qs to all presidential and congressional candidates

Answer 21

In NC 8th District, the Democratic Challenger Larry Kissler answered all the questions in line with the AARP stance and so received their endorsement and won the election

Answer 22

PGs provide accurate, detailed and up-to-date info to those who need it (legislators need to seem knowledgable)

Answer 23

11k in Washington alone (K Street)

Answer 24

Built up aroundd former politicians and aides who have visibility and contacts Eg the Podesta Group is built around Tony Podesta (the brother of John Podesta who was Clinton's CoS and ran Hillary's 2016 campaign)

Answer 25

Providing them with reassurance they are taking the right stance Eg liberals will look to NAACP Conservatives with look to the US Chamber of Commerce

Answer 26

They often launch PR campaigns- e.g. tv advertising (issue advertising) Merchandise- bumper stickers; T shirts

Answer 27

Moms Demand Action- gun v kinder egg poster | NRATV saying gun control is only for the rich

Answer 28

Very effective- esp at local legislators

Answer 29

Postal 'blitzes'- PGs asking members to send pre-prepared letters or cards to certain representatives; email campaigns; online petitions etc Marches- esp at state and federal level e.g. outside courtrooms

Answer 30

Occupy Wall Street - for the 99%

Answer 31

Federalism access points- power devolved therefore lots of people yield it near you Also local interests more prominent due to each state's unique culture

Answer 32

Socialist Alternative MN is the Minnesota Branch of Socialist Alternative, intially formed to elect Kshama Sawant to Seattle City Council in 2014

Answer 33

The Congressional Committee system provide more access points for PGs to appear as witnesses, make written submissions, amend legislation and scrutinise activity

Answer 34

They can access the White House, executive departments, agencies and regulatory commissions of the federal bureaucracy

Answer 35

A pg pretending to have lots of grassroots support when they dont

Answer 36

The Western States Petroleum Association (huge lobbyist for big oil) ran 14 supposed grassroots consumer movements to promote big oil companies(e.g. the California Drivers' Alliance) ...but they weren't acc grass roots

Answer 37

``` Effective organisation and leadership Wealth Large membership Achievability of the goal Status of opposition ```

Answer 38

Occupy didn't have effective leadership or organisation and so quickly faded away Wayne La Pierrre hs led NRA since 1991- slick org with a clear message Basically about having clear and firm priorities which are well-communicated so people know what is on the agenda

Answer 39

Easier to organise producers over consumers

Answer 40

Money brings the ability to do more lobbying and campaigning etc

Answer 41

In cases where a proposed policy had low support amongst wealthy (only 1/5 in favour) the policy was adopted 18& of time vs when 4/5 wealthy supported the plan, the prospect of adoption rose to 45%

Answer 42

When a group has lots of members, it can more persuasively claim to represent a larger- and so more influential section of society Also the more members= the more subscriptions= the more donations

Answer 43

The more popular an issue the more pressure can be put on legislators e.g. MADD started I 1988 by Candice Lightener after her 13 y/o daughter was killed by a. drunk driver

Answer 44

1984 federal law, the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, that introduced a federal penalty for states that didn't raise the minimum legal age for the purchase and possession of alcohol to 21; court case South Dakota v. Dole (1987) upheld this In 2010- finally Guam raised in to 21

Answer 45

The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence unlikely to be successful due to NRA (its website claims it is 'dedicated to taking on the NRA and their toxic agenda')

Answer 46

The easier the goal to attain, there likely it will succeed Changes over time Eg capital punishment is gradually being eroded- 23 states don't impose it atm because its been abolished or because of a gubernatorial moratoria (11 of these decisions taken post-2007)

Answer 47

Sierra Club- formed at the end of the 19th cent during industrialisation and westward expansion Wilderness Soc

Answer 48

Groups like the National Organisation for Women They have failed to pass an equal rights amendment but have remained very active re issues like equal pay and sexual harassment Attempts to get more women into Congress- e.g. EMILY's List which supports women early on in the process

Answer 49

. Since founding, it has elected over 100 pro-choice Democratic women to the House, 23 to the Senate, 12 to governors' seats, and hundreds of women to state and local office.

Answer 50

Many since 1973 Roe v Was NARAL- labelled Neil Gorsuch as 'an existential threat to legal right to abortion' while National Right to Life claim 'he will protect the lives of unborn children

Answer 51

Clinton vetoed Congressional attempts to ban partial birth abortions (96 and 97) BUT GWB signed them into law, upheld by the SC in 2007

Answer 52

NRA- initially began to teach Americans how to use guns, but since 19s has campaigned against tougher gun laws

Answer 53

Opposed the 1993 Brady Bill which mandated federal background checks on firearms purcharers Filed amicus briefs in District of Colombia v Heller (2008) where the SC ruled that a DC ban on keeping handguns disassembled in the home was unconstitutional

Answer 54

Congressional Ds claims it is 'owning Congress' while R Congressmen describe it as 'the best single-issue lobby group in politics, bar none'

Answer 55

Occupy movement- First protest Sept 2011 in Wall Street; within a month there were protests in every state Obama claimed 'we are on their side'

Answer 56

Leadership was fragmented and disparate, protests became more violent

Answer 57

They have the power to amend legislation as they consider it, giving lobbyists a key access point Membership to standing committees= fairly small (40 n house and 16 in senate) therefore lobbyists can build lasting relationships with members

Answer 58

direct contact telling members how to contact congressmen contacting relevant congress committee publishing voting records of house and senate members, offering their own rankings can fundraise/advertise on their favourites' behalves

Answer 59

GWB when he wanted Christinan Right group to support his nominee Harriet Miers (they backed her opponent and she withdrew0

Answer 60

Strong ties with departments, agencies and regulatory comittees- esp when it comes to regulatory work of gov e.g. health and environment Producer groups e.g. companies and labour unions can find themselves close to relevant gov department who seek to implement poiicy

Answer 61

They take an active interest in the nomination of new SC judges- e.g. Neil Gorsuch abortion They uses amicus briefs to try and influence the court

Answer 62

ACLU has participated in more SC case than any other private org; generally successful Eg McCreary v ACLU (2005) agreed that a display of the Ten Commandments in a Kentucky court house was unconstitutional In 2009 their FOI Act compelled the release of documents detailing the extent of the Bush torture program, inc memos justifying waterboarding and other abuses e.g. the Zelikow Memo

Answer 63

In the 90s Congress passed legislation which restricted lobbyists by banning gifts to Congress members (inc wining and dining) and the paying of honoraria) 2007- Ds in control of both Houses; GWB signed the Honest Leadership and Open Government act (had bipartisan support)

Answer 64

- senators can't lobby Congress/cabinet officials and senior exec branch members cannot lobby the department/agency they worked in after leaving for 2 years - Prohbited gifts by lobbyists - Prohibitd use of private aircraft - Meetings with lobbyists now take place in Congressional offices/cafes

Answer 65

Sierra Club can't take Congressmen to visit national parks to see the results of environmental regulations/damage

Answer 66

Obama- 'Washington has become a place where good ideas go to die because lobbyists crush them with their money and influence' ; he didn't accept any donations from registered lobbyists McCain- agreed and said sovereignty could only be restored by breaking the iron triangles

Answer 67

- They give legislators/bureaucrats useful info and act as a sounding board for policy formulation stage of legislation - They order policy debate: aggregating views and channelling the wishes of their client - They broaden opportunities for participation - They increase levels of accountability - They increase opportunity for representation between elections - They enhance the rights of freedom of speech/association - US political system encourages them: multiple access points, autonomy of committees etc and division of power allows many decisions to made at state/ local level

Answer 68

- Revolving doors - Iron triangles - Inequality of the groups - Special interest v public interests - Buying political influence - Direct action

Answer 69

The practise whereby ex-Congressmen/ex-exec members take up jobs with lobbying firms, and use their expertise and contacts to lobby the institution that they were a member of

Answer 70

An abuse of public service- they exploit their knowledge and contacts in Congress/exec branch in the interests of their clients and to make money Poiticians can favour a particular group in office because they are hoping for a job there when they leave

Answer 71

According to open secrets.org there are 388 former members of Congress currently working as lobbyists Following the 2014 mid terms, 75 members of Congress left office and nearly half went into lobbying Out of the 100 most senior people in the Clinton administration, 51 went to work as or for lobbyists

Answer 72

Phil Gringley, a former Republican representative from Georgia, now works for lobbying firm Drinker, Biddle and Reath Drinker, Biddle and Death have employed 33 people who have benefitted somehow from the revolving door

Answer 73

Describes the strong relationship that can develop between interest groups, executive branch agencies/departments and Congressional committees

Answer 74

Eisenhowers military industrial complex

Answer 75

The large military corporations who make campaign contributions to Congress, who tax fund the Department of Defence who provide tax funded contracts to the large military corporations

Answer 76

Linked to revolving door | They promote elitism- inside groups are more likely to have links in Congress

Answer 77

Concerntra the power int he hands of a few rather than distribute it to the hands of the many

Answer 78

While many conservatives suggest that the existence of PGs, bureaucrats, peoples, unions and the media competing for influence makes USA pluralist, critics on the left say that the playing field is now level

Answer 79

Business and industry groups are often ore powerful than the environmental lobby

Answer 80

Recently Trump has approved the keystone XL and Dakota oil pipelines In 2012, at least 50 oil companies, business trade orgs, labour unions, and political groups, with combined lobbying budgets of 178m dollars lobbied Washington in favour of Keystone XL vs 5m of environmental groups

Answer 81

Lots of Pgs campaigning for small interests groups rather than the whole of society can lead to atomisation

Answer 82

Lots of small groups thinking just for themselves ; spending too much time fighting for special interest rathe than the public interest

Answer 83

NAACP, the American Jewish Congress, the Organisation of Chinese Americans (all of these groups focused on narrow goals which benefit their members but might not benefit the nation)

Answer 84

In 2016, the org Diverse Best Practises produced an article called '21 Native American Organisations You Need to Know', inc Women Empowering Women for Indian Nations e.g.....this group only makes up 1.7% of the population

Answer 85

Can lead to stereotyping- suggesting all black people face the same problems and want the same policy outcomes

Answer 86

Lobbyists for business corporations can even write legislation for Congress members

Answer 87

in 2013 a bill was passed in the house which would have weakened financial regulatiojns- large parts of this all were identical to those suggested by lobbyists for Citigroup, a huge bank ( 70 lines of an 85 line bill)

Answer 88

Congress has basically outsourced its policy expertise to the private sector (..) this private sector= coorganisations and companies who can afford to ay for it: big banks and big Oil and big companies

Answer 89

The busy diaries of Congressional stafff members- they can help a lawmaker round up cosponsors for the bill and write up talking points, and influence the language of the bill itself

Answer 90

-Unacceptable levels of violence to pursue their agenda - e.g. Occupy - Zucotti Park 2011 protest (one day)= 700 arrests UNDEMOCRATIC

Answer 91

Aug 2016 - Campaign Zero, proposed policies for tackling police violence and misconduct Release of a manifesto suggests they are trying to turn their publicity into policy success

Answer 92

13.3 m tweets

Answer 93

The fatal police shooting of Michal Brown in Ferguson in 2014

Answer 94

Thousands of protestors blocked NYC traffic in April 2014, closing Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges In Jan 2015, protestors interrupted a Capitol Hill lunch In June 2015, protestors staged a 'die-in' protest at the UN general assembly

Answer 95

An end to 'broken window' policing- high arrest rate of blacks for minor crimes like jaywalking To increase transparency of police interactions with citizens e.g. more body cameras Whites make up 2/3 of police force despite only making up 1/3 of population - increased diversity in the force

Answer 96

Yes- has raised awareness; they have ensured that issues facing blacks have remained in the spotlight BUT translating into policy hasn't been done (like anti-capitalist Occupy)

Answer 97

US is dominated by 2 'big tent' parties that can often overlook minority concerns BLM bring a wide range of issues to the parties' attentions

Answer 98

“When people say ‘Black Lives Matter,’” Obama said, “that doesn’t mean blue lives don’t matter.”

Answer 99

After they criticised the presidential candidates win their policy re race and justice reform, the 2 leading 2 candidates made quick changes to their platforms

Answer 100

Sanders released a comprehensive justice reform plan to tackle police violence and excessive jail sentencing

Answer 101

Clinton publicly stated that there are issues re mass incarceration and the criminal justice system and pledged to introduce new national standards for policing

Answer 102

IN A VERY DIFFERENT WAY TO DEMOCRATS Trump repeatedly spoke about the need to protect and promote 'law and order'- indicating support for police over protestors... blue lives matter is just as urgent as black lives matter.

Pressure Groups Flashcards

(127 cards)