Monday, December 9, 2013

Interest Groups

Who are interest groups and what do they do?
  association of people who hold similar views and/or goals
- interest groups organize people
    organize letter writing campaigns, demonstrations
- interest groups encourage and provide means for political participation
     GOTV campaigns, group engagement in political dialogue, "checkbook participation"
- interest groups supply information to the public and to policy makers
     spreading literature, lobbying Congress, informative advertisements




Various types of interest groups
- agricultural interests
   National Potato Council, Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association
- business interests
    US Chamber of Commerce, American Wind Energy Association
- labor interests
    United Auto Workers
- cause-based interests
    Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Texans for Life Coalition
- societal interests
    American Association of Retired Persons, National Organization for Women
- professional interests
    American Medical Association, American Bar Association






What interest groups do:
- endorse candidates
- lobby elected officials
- inform the public
- file lawsuits

What they don't do:
- donate money to political campaigns
   Political Action Committees (PACs) are created for the purpose of raising money and contributing money to candidates for their campaigns


The good and the bad of interest groups:
- give a voice to minority political interests
- too much influence
- emotional, narrowly-focused interest vs. good of the country