An Interest Group is an organization of people who share a common interest and

work together to protect and promote that interest by influencing the government.
Interest groups vary greatly in size, aims, and tactics. Political scientists generally
divide interest groups into two categories: economic and noneconomic.

Economic Groups
Economic Groups, which seek some sort of economic advantage for their members,
are the most common type of interest group. Money has significant influence in
capitalist societies, so economic interest groups are numerous and powerful. These
groups are usually well funded because members willingly contribute money in the
hopes of reaping greater political influence and profit.

Economic groups work to win Private Goods, which are benefits that only the
members of the group will enjoy. When a labor union agrees to a contract, for
example, its members benefit from the contract, whereas nonunion members do not.
If there is no private good incentive, people might choose not to join (especially if
there is a membership fee or dues). There are four main types of economic groups:
business groups, labor groups, agricultural groups, and professional associations.

Business Groups
Business groups are the most common type of interest group; more than half of all
registered lobbyists work for business organizations. Some business lobbyists work
for a single corporation, lobbying solely for that company. Businesses also form
associations with companies from the same industry to promote all of their interests.
For example, the American Petroleum Institute works on behalf of oil companies.
Some groups act on behalf of business in general. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce,
for example, seeks pro-business policies in general, not just policies that help one
part of the economy.

Because they are usually well funded, business groups tend to be very influential.
They work to promote the interests of private companies and corporations by seeking
tax cuts, regulatory changes, and other pro-business benefits. Business groups do
not always agree with one another, however. What benefits one industry may harm
another, so advocates for those industries quite often work against one another.

Labor Groups
Labor groups represent unions, which work to increase wages and improve working
conditions for both skilled and unskilled workers. Individual workers have very little
power, but banded together, they can wield significant influence. Labor unions have
been a significant part of American economic and political life since the late
nineteenth century. At the peak of the unions’ influence, roughly one-third of
American workers belonged to labor unions.
In recent decades, however, union membership has declined so that fewer than
one-fourth of the nation’s workers belong to any union. The American Federation of
State, County, and Municipal Employees; the United Food and Commercial Workers
International; and Service Employees International are among the largest and most
influential labor unions. The AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor–Congress of
Industrial Organizations) is an umbrella organization of labor unions that cooperate in
order to expand their influence. Labor unions spend much of their time and energy
dealing with employers, but they also play a political role. Unions mobilize voters and
donate money to help candidates who they feel will benefit workers.

Splits In The Labor Movement

The decline of labor unions has caused some people to question union leadership. In
2005, for example, a number of very prominent unions pulled out of the AFL-CIO
because they could not agree on a political strategy. Leadership elections have also
turned nasty. Although organized labor’s political influence remains, some pundits
argue that these disputes further diminish the power of unions.

Agricultural Groups
Agricultural groups represent the interests of farmers. Farmers have been organized
for centuries to protect themselves against price fluctuations and other issues. In the
United States, farmers’ groups, such as the Grange movement, have played an
important role in politics, which continues today: The federal government spends
large amounts of money supporting farmers and influencing what crops are grown.
Not all agricultural groups agree on the same policies. Some groups, such as the
Farm Bureau, tend to work most closely with large agribusinesses, whereas others,
such as the Farmers Union and the Grange, do more to protect family farms.

Professional Associations
Many professionals have formal organizations that set ground rules for the
profession, regulate practices, and promote standards of conduct. Professional
associations also lobby the government on issues related to their profession. The
American Medical Association, for example, fights against laws it feels undercut
physicians’ autonomy. Similarly, the National Education Association, a professional
association for teachers, lobbies for policies it feels will benefit teachers and
students.

Interest Groups And Prescription Drugs

Prescription drugs are more important to health care than ever before. Interest groups
have played a strong role in the rules governing prescription drugs, from influencing
the process of drug approval by the Food and Drug Administration to regulating the
price and distribution of pharmaceuticals. When Congress added prescription drug
coverage to Medicare in 2004, many felt that pharmaceutical companies had
influenced Congress to forbid negotiations over drug prices.

Noneconomic Groups
Noneconomic Groups (sometimes called Citizens’ Groups) are interest groups that
fight for causes instead of working for material gain. Unlike economic groups, which
work for private goods, noneconomic groups seek Public Goods (also called
Collective Goods), which benefit everyone in society, not just members of the group.
Instead of Material Incentives, these groups offer their members a variety of Selective
Incentives, including the following benefits:
Purposive Benefits: The emotional and psychological benefits members receive
knowing they have contributed to a cause they feel is worthwhile
Solidarity Benefits: The social benefits members receive after meeting new people
and friends they worked with to promote the cause
Informational Benefits: The educational benefits members receive after having
learned more about the issues that matter to them
There are four main types of noneconomic groups: public interest groups,
single-issue groups, ideological groups, and government groups.

Public Interest Groups

Public interest groups claim to work for the good of the whole society, not just one
part of it. Not surprisingly, public interest groups often have very different ideas as to
how to improve society. Many public interest groups tackle a number of related
issues. Greenpeace, for example, works to protect ecosystems around the world and
to educate the public about dangers to the environment. The nonpartisan public
interest group Democracy 21 seeks to strengthen democracy by lobbying for election
and campaign finance reforms.

Single-Issue Groups
Single-issue groups work solely on one specific issue. These groups tend to be very
strongly driven, composed of members who are passionately committed to the
particular cause. Over the last few decades, the number of single-issue groups has
grown greatly; there are now groups covering a broad range of issues. Well-known
single-issue groups include the National Rifle Association, which lobbies against gun
control legislation, and Operation Rescue, which works to ban abortion.

Ideological Groups
Whereas single-issue groups have a very narrow focus, ideological groups have
much broader aims rooted in a strongly held philosophy. Ideological groups often
work to change cultural norms, values, and prevailing stereotypes. Conservative
ideological groups include the Christian Coalition and the Traditional Values
Coalition, whereas liberal ideological groups include the NOW and the National
Organization for the Advancement of Colored People.

Government Groups
Government groups represent the interests of other governments. Many cities and
state governments, for example, have lobbyists in Washington to act in their interest.
Most foreign governments also hire lobbyists to promote their interests in Congress
and the White House.

Catchin’ A Ride

People who reap the benefits from public goods without actually contributing to the
group that won those goods are known as Free Riders. The free rider phenomenon is
particularly troublesome for noneconomic interest groups, especially ideological
interests groups, which have trouble recruiting active members who are willing to
contribute time, money, and energy to winning a public good that will benefit
everyone.
SOME MAJOR INTEREST GROUPS
Type Of Group

Example

Business National Association of Manufacturers

Economic

Labor International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Agricultural American Farm Bureau Federation
Professional Association American Bar Association
Public Interest League of Women Voters
Noneconomic

Single Issue The Environmental Defense Fund

Ideological Christian Coalition
Government National League of Cities

******************
Interest groups◌ঃ
Techniques used by the interest groups….!
Direct Lobbying
Direct lobbying is used to influence legislative bodies directly via communication with
members of the legislative body.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Describe direct lobbying

KEY TAKEAWAYS
Key Points
During the direct lobbying process, the lobbyist introduces to the legislator
information that may supply favors, may otherwise be missed or makes political
threats.
Direct lobbying is different from grassroots lobbying, a process that uses direct
communication with the general public.
Direct lobbying is often used alongside grassroots lobbying.
Key Terms
legislative bodies: Legislative bodies are a kind of deliberative assembly with the
power to pass, amend and repeal laws.
direct lobbying: Direct lobbying refers to methods used by lobbyists to influence
legislative bodies through direct communication with members of the legislative
body, or with a government official who formulates legislation.
grassroots lobbying: A process that uses direct communication with the general
public, which, in turn, contacts and influences the government.
Direct lobbying refers to methods used by lobbyists to influence legislative bodies
through direct communication with members of the legislative body, or with a
government official who participates in formulating legislation.

image
Direct Lobbying: Both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are subject to
direct lobbying tactics by lobbyists.

During the direct lobbying process, the lobbyist introduces to the legislator
information that may supply favors, may otherwise be missed or makes political
threats. A common use of direct lobbying is to persuade the general public about a
ballot proposal. In this case, the public is considered to be the legislator. This aspect
of direct lobbying attempts to alter the legislature before it is placed on the ballot.
Communications regarding a ballot measure are also considered direct lobbying.
Direct lobbying is different from grassroots lobbying, a process that uses direct
communication with the general public, which, in turn, contacts and influences the
government.

Washington, D.C. is the home to many firms that employ these strategies. Lobbyists
often attempt to facilitate market entry through the adoption of new rules, or the
revision of old ones. They also remove regulatory obstacles for a company looking to
grow, while also stopping others from attaining regulatory changes that would harm a
company’s cause.

Meta-analysis reveals that direct lobbying is often used alongside grassroots

lobbying. There is evidence that groups are much more likely to directly lobby
previous allies rather than opponents. Allies are also directly lobbied if a counter
lobby is brought to light. When groups have strong ties to a legislator’s district, they
will use a combination of grassroots and direct lobbying, even if the legislator’s
original position does not support theirs. When strong district ties are not present,
groups will rely on direct lobbying with committee allies.

Direct Techniques
Lobbyists employ direct lobbying in the United States to influence United States
legislative bodies through direct interaction with legislators.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Identify the direct techniques used by interest groups to influence policy and what
groups would use them

KEY TAKEAWAYS
Key Points
Revolving door is a term used to describe the cycling of former federal employees
into jobs as lobbyists while former lobbyists are pulled into government positions.
There have been several efforts to regulate the lobbying sector including the
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 and the Honest Leadership and Open Government
Act.
Direct lobbying is different from grassroots lobbying, a process that uses direct
communication with the general public, who in turn, contacts and influences the
government.
Key Terms
Honest Leadership and Open Government Act: The Honest Leadership and Open
Government Act, signed September 15, 2007 by President Bush, requires a quarterly
report on lobby spending, places restrictions on gifts to Congress members, provides
for mandatory disclosure of earmarks in expenditure bills, and places restrictions on
the revolving door in direct lobbying.
Lobbying Disclosure Act: The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 signed into law by
President Bill Clinton was revised in 2006 to require the registration of all lobbying
entities to occur shortly after the individual lobbyist makes a first plan to lobby any
highly ranked federal official.
direct lobbying: Direct lobbying in the United States consists of methods used by
lobbyists to influence U.S. legislative bodies through direct interaction with those
who have influence on the legislature.
Direct lobbying in the United States consists of methods used by lobbyists to
influence the United States legislative bodies. Interest groups from many sectors
spend billions of dollars on lobbying. There are three lobbying laws in the U.S. that
require a lobbying entity to be registered, allow nonprofit organizations to lobby
without losing their nonprofit status, require lobbying organizations to present
quarterly reports, places restrictions on gifts to U.S. Congress members, and makes it
mandatory for earmarks to be disclosed in expenditure bills. Revolving door, when a
former federal employee becomes a lobbyist and vice-versa, occurs in the direct
lobbying sector.

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Washington D.C., Lobbyist Central: As Washington D.C. is the seat of the United
States Federal Government, it attracts a high concentration of lobbyists.

Theory
Lobbying is a common practice at all levels of legislature. Direct lobbying is done
either through direct communication with members or employees of the legislative
body, or with a government official who participates in formulating legislation. During
the direct lobbying process, the lobbyist introduces statistics that will inform the
legislator of any recent information that might otherwise be missed, and may make
political threats or promises, and/or grant favors. Communications regarding a ballot
measure are also considered direct lobbying. Direct lobbying is different from
grassroots lobbying, a process that uses direct communication with the general
public, who in turn contact and influence the government.

The most common goals of lobbyists are:

to facilitate market entry through the adoption of new rules, or the repeal or revision
of old ones.
to remove regulatory obstacles that prevent the growth of a company.
to stop others from attaining regulatory changes that would harm the business of
one’s company’s or one’s cause.
Direct lobbying is often used alongside grassroots lobbying. When groups have
strong ties to a legislator’s district, those groups will use a combination of grassroots
and direct lobbying, even if the legislator’s original position does not support theirs,
which may help groups expand their coalitions. When strong district ties are not
present, groups tend to rely on direct lobbying with committee allies.

Spending
In 2010, the total amount spent on lobbying in the U.S. was $3.5 billion. The top
sectors for lobbying as of 2010 are financial, insurance, and real estate, with
$4,405,909,610 spent on lobbying. Health is the second largest sector by spending,
with $4,369,979,173 recorded in 2010.

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Spending on Lobbying: This graph compares the number of lobbyists with the
amount of lobby spending.

The oil and gas sector companies are among the biggest spenders on lobbying.
During the 2008 elections, oil companies spent a total of $132.2 million into lobbying
for law reform. The three biggest spenders from the oil and gas sector are Koch
Industries (1,931,562), Exxon ( ), and the Mobil Corporation (1,192,361).

Lobbying Laws
Lobbying Disclosure Act
The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 was signed into law by President Bill Clinton.
Under a January 1, 2006 revision, the act requires the registration of all lobbying
entities with the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of
Representatives. The registration must occur within 45 days after the individual
lobbyist makes a first plan to lobby. Penalizations include fines of over $50,000 and
being reported to the United States Attorney.

Public Charity Lobbying Law

The Public Charity Lobbying Law gives nonprofit organizations the opportunity to
spend about 5% of their revenue on lobbying without losing their nonprofit status
with the Internal Revenue Service. Organizations must elect to use the Public Charity
Law, and so increase the allowable spending on lobbying to increase to 20% for the
first $500,000 of their annual expenditures. Another aspect to the law is the spending
restrictions between direct lobbying and grassroots lobbying—no more than 20% can
be spent on grassroots lobbying at any given time, while 100% of the lobbying
expenditures can be on direct lobbying.

Honest Leadership and Open Government Act

The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act was signed on September 15, 2007
by President Bush, amending the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995. The bill includes
provisions that require a quarterly report on lobby spending by organizations, places
restrictions on gifts to Congress members, provides for mandatory disclosure of
earmarks in expenditure bills, and places restrictions on the revolving door in direct
lobbying.

Revolving Door
Revolving door is a term used to describe the cycling of former federal employees
into jobs as lobbyists, while former lobbyists are pulled into government positions.
Government officials with term limits form valuable connections that could help
influence future law-making even when they are out of office. The other form of the
revolving door is pushing lobbyists into government positions, developing
connections, and returning into the lobbying world to use said connections. A total of
326 lobbyists are part of the Barack Obama Administration. In the past, 527 lobbyists
were part of the Bush Administration, compared to 358 during the Clinton
Administration.

Indirect Techniques
Grassroots lobbying asks the public to contact legislators concerning the issue at
hand, as opposed to going to the legislators directly.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Identify the indirect techniques used by interest groups to influence legislation

KEY TAKEAWAYS
Key Points
A grassroots lobby puts pressure on the legislature to address the concerns of a
particular group by mobilizing that group, usually through raising public awareness
and running advocacy campaigns.
A group or individual classified as a lobbyist must submit regular disclosure reports;
however, reporting requirements vary from state to state.
The unique characteristic of grassroots lobbying, in contrast to other forms of
lobbying, is that it involves stimulating the politics of specific communities.
Key Terms
indirect lobbying: Grassroots lobbying, or indirect lobbying, is a form of lobbying that
focuses on raising awareness in the general population of a particular cause at the
local level, with the intention of influencing the legislative process.
Grassroots lobbying
Grassroots lobbying, or indirect lobbying, is a form of lobbying that focuses on
raising awareness for a particular cause at the local level, with the intention of
influencing the legislative process. Grassroots lobbying is an approach that
separates itself from direct lobbying through the act of asking the general public to
contact legislators and government officials concerning the issue at hand, as
opposed to conveying the message to the legislators directly.

The unique characteristic of grassroots lobbying, in contrast to other forms of

lobbying, is that it involves stimulating the politics of specific communities. Interest
groups, however, do not recruit candidates to run for office. Rather, they choose to
influence candidates and public officials using indirect tactics of advocacy.
Tactics
The main two tactics used in indirect advocacy are contacting the press (by either a
press conference or press release), and mobilizing the mass membership to create a
movement.

Media Lobbying
Grassroots lobbying oftentimes implement the use of media, ranging from television
to print, in order to expand their outreach. Other forms of free media that make a large
impact are things like boycotting, protesting, and demonstrations.

Social Media
The trend of the past decade has been the use of social media outlets to reach people
across the globe. Using social media is, by nature, a grassroots strategy.

Mass movements
Mobilizing a specific group identified by the lobby puts pressure on the legislature to
address the concerns of this group. These tactics are used after the lobbying group
gains the public’s trust and support through public speaking, passing out flyers, and
even campaigning through mass media.

Trends
Trends from the past decade in grassroots lobbying include an increase in the
aggressive recruitment of volunteers, as well as starting campaigns early on, before
the legislature has made a decision. Also, lobbying groups have been able to create
interactive websites and utilize social media (including Facebook and Twitter) to
email, recruit volunteers, assign them tasks, and keep the goal of the lobbying group
on track.

Regulations
Lobbying is protected by the First Amendment rights of speech, association, and
petition. Federal law does not mandate grassroots lobbying disclosure, yet 36 states
regulate grassroots lobbying. There are 22 states that define lobbying as direct or
indirect communication to public officials, and 14 additional states that define it as
any attempt to influence public officials. A group or individual classified as a lobbyist
must submit regular disclosure reports; however, reporting requirements vary from
state to state. Some states’ disclosure requirements are minimal and require only
registration, while other states’ requirements are extensive, including the filing of
monthly to quarterly expense reports, which include all legislative activity relevant to
the individual or groups activities, amounts of contributions and donations, and the
names and addresses of contributors and specified expenses. Penalties range from
civil fines to criminal penalties if regulations are not complied with.

image
Bill of Rights: The First Amendment rights of free speech, freedom of association, and
freedom of petition protect lobbying, including grassroots lobbying.

Cultivating Access
Access is important and often means a one-on-one meeting with a legislator.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Describe how lobbying and campaign finance intersect

KEY TAKEAWAYS
Key Points
Getting access can sometimes be difficult, but there are various avenues: email,
personal letters, phone calls, face-to-face meetings, meals, get-togethers, and even
chasing after congresspersons in the Capitol building.
When getting access is difficult, there are ways to wear down the walls surrounding a
legislator.
One of the ways in which lobbyists gain access is through assisting congresspersons
with campaign finance by arranging fundraisers, assembling PACs, and seeking
donations from other clients.
Key Terms
access: A way or means of approaching or entering; an entrance; a passage.
PACs: A political action committee (PAC) is any organization in the United States that
campaigns for or against political candidates, ballot initiatives or legislation.
Access is important and often means a one-on-one meeting with a legislator. Getting
access can sometimes be difficult, but there are various means one can try: email,
personal letters, phone calls, face-to-face meetings, meals, get-togethers, and even
chasing after congresspersons in the Capitol building. One lobbyist described his
style of getting access as “not to have big formal meetings, but to catch members on
the fly as they’re walking between the House and the office buildings. ”

image
Cultivating Access: Connections count: Congressperson Tom Perriello with lobbyist
Heather Podesta at an inauguration party for Barack Obama.

When getting access is difficult, there are ways to wear down the walls surrounding a
legislator. Lobbyist Jack Abramoff explains:

Access is vital in lobbying. If you can’t get in your door, you can’t make your case.
Here we had a hostile senator, whose staff was hostile, and we had to get in. So that’s
the lobbyist safe-cracker method: throw fundraisers, raise money, and become a big
donor. —Abramoff in 2011

One of the ways in which lobbyists gain access is through assisting congresspersons
with campaign finance by arranging fundraisers, assembling PACs, and seeking
donations from other clients. Many lobbyists become campaign treasurers and
fundraisers for congresspersons. This helps incumbent members cope with the
substantial amounts of time required to raise money for reelection bids; one estimate
was that Congresspersons had to spend a third of their working hours on fundraising
activity. PACs are fairly easy to set up; all they require is a lawyer and about $300.

An even steeper possible reward which can be used in exchange for favors is the lure
of a high-paying job as a lobbyist. According to Abramoff, one of the best ways to
“get what he wanted” was to offer a high-ranking congressional aide a high-paying
job after they decided to leave public office. When such a promise of future
employment was accepted, according to Abramoff, “we owned them”. This helped the
lobbying firm exert influence on that particular congressperson by going through the
staff member or aide. At the same time, it is hard for outside observers to argue that a
particular decision, such as hiring a former staffer into a lobbying position, was
purely as a reward for some past political decision, since staffers often have valuable
connections and policy experience needed by lobbying firms. Research economist
Mirko Draca suggested that hiring a staffer was an ideal way for a lobbying firm to try
to sway their old bosses—a congressperson—in the future.

Mobilizing Public Opinion

Increasingly, lobbyists seek to influence politics by putting together large coalitions
and using outside lobbying to sway public opinion.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Differentiate between direct and indirect lobbying efforts

KEY TAKEAWAYS
Key Points
Efforts to influence Congress indirectly, by trying to change public opinion, are often
referred to as indirect lobbying.
Larger, more diverse, and more wealthy coalitions tend to be the most effective at
outside lobbying (the “strength in numbers” principle applies).
Increasingly, in order to influence elections, lobbyists have put together large
coalitions and mobilized outside lobbying efforts aimed at swaying and controlling
public opinion.
Key Terms
indirect lobbying: Efforts to influence Congress indirectly by trying to change public
opinion. These efforts depend on the fact that politicians must frequently appeal to
the public during regular election cycles.
direct lobbying: Direct lobbying refers to methods used by lobbyists to influence
legislative bodies through direct communication with members of the legislative
body, or with a government official who formulates legislation.
public opinion: The opinion of the public, the popular view.
In 1953, following a lawsuit that included a congressional resolution that authorized a
governmental committee to investigate “all lobbying activities intended to influence,
encourage, promote, or retard legislation,” the Supreme Court narrowly construed
“lobbying activities” to mean only “direct” lobbying. The Court defined this “direct”
method of lobbying as “representations made directly to the Congress, its members,
or its committees”. It contrasted this with indirect lobbying, which it defined as efforts
to influence Congress indirectly by trying to change public opinion.

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Mobilizing Public Opinion: Large health notices on tobacco products is one way in
which the anti-smoking lobby and the government have tried to mobilize public
opinion against smoking.
Increasingly, lobbyists seek to influence politics by putting together coalitions and by
utilizing outside lobbying to mobilize public opinion on issues. Larger, more diverse,
and more wealthy coalitions tend to be more effective at outside lobbying (the
“strength in numbers” principle often applies). These groups have been defined as
“sustainable coalitions of similarly situated individual organizations in pursuit of
like-minded goals. ” According to one study, it is often difficult for a lobbyist to
influence a staff member in Congress directly, because staffers tend to be
well-informed, and because they frequently hear views from competing interests. As
an indirect tactic, lobbyists often try to manipulate public opinion which, in turn, can
sometimes exert pressure on congresspersons, who must frequently appeal to that
public during electoral campaigns. One method for exerting this indirect pressure is
the use of mass media. Interest groups often cultivate contacts with reporters and
editors and encourage these individuals to write editorials and cover stories that will
influence public opinion regarding a particular issue. Because of the important
connection between public opinion and voting, this may have the secondary effect of
influencing Congress. According to analyst Ken Kollman, it is easier to sway public
opinion than a congressional staff member, because it is possible to bombard the
public with “half-truths, distortion, scare tactics, and misinformation. ” Kollman
suggests there should be two goals in these types of efforts. First, communicate to
policy makers that there is public support behind a particular issue, and secondly,
increase public support for that issue among constituents. Kollman asserted that this
type of outside lobbying is a “powerful tool” for interest group leaders. In a sense,
using these criteria, one could consider James Madison as having engaged in outside
lobbying. After the Constitution was proposed, Madison wrote many of the 85
newspaper editorials that argued for people to support the Constitution. These
writings later came to be known as the Federalist Papers. As a result of Madison’s
“lobbying” effort, the Constitution was ratified, although there were narrow margins
of victory in four of the states.

Lobbying today generally requires mounting a coordinated campaign, which can

include targeted blitzes of telephone calls, letters, and emails to congressional
lawmakers. It can also involve more public demonstrations, such as marches down
the Washington Mall, or topical bus caravans. These are often put together by
lobbyists who coordinate a variety of interest group leaders to unite behind a
hopefully simple, easy-to-grasp, and persuasive message.

Using Electoral Politics

A number of interest groups have sought out electoral politics as a means of gaining
access and influence on broader American policies.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Give an example of an interest group making determined use of electoral politics

KEY TAKEAWAYS
Key Points
One example of an interest group using electoral politics is the National Caucus of
Labor Committees.
in 1972, the NCLC launched the U.S. Labor Party (USLP), a registered political party,
as its electoral arm. They later nominated LaRouche for President of the United
States.
The National Caucus of Labor Committees (NCLC) is a political cadre organization in
the United States founded and controlled by political activist Lyndon LaRouche, who
has sometimes described it as a “philosophical association”.
Key Terms
electoral politics: An election is a formal decision-making process by which a
population chooses an individual to hold public office.
interest group: Collections of members with shared knowledge, status, or goals. In
many cases, these groups advocate for particular political or social issues.
image
Lyndon LaRouche: LaRouche was the leader of the National Caucus of Labor
Committees, an interest group that later developed a distinct political party that
nominated LaRouche for president of the U.S

All electoral politics are interest politics in some sense. Over the course of American
history, a number of interest groups have sought out electoral politics as a means of
gaining access and influence on broader American policies. One example of an
interest group using electoral politics is the National Caucus of Labor Committees
(NCLC).

The NCLC is a political cadre organization in the United States, founded and
controlled by political activist Lyndon LaRouche, who has sometimes described it as
a “philosophical association. ”

In 1972, the NCLC launched the U.S. Labor Party (USLP), a registered political party,
as its electoral arm. In 1976, they nominated LaRouche for President of the United
States on the Labor Party ticket, along with numerous candidates for lower office. In
1979, LaRouche changed his political strategy to allow him to run in the Democratic
primaries, rather than as a third party candidate. This resulted in the USLP being
replaced by the National Democratic Policy Committee (NDPC) a political action
committee unassociated with the Democratic National Committee.LaRouche is the
NCLC’s founder and the inspiration for its political views. (For more information on
these views see the article “Political Views of Lyndon LaRouche,” as well as the main
article titled “Lyndon LaRouche. ” An overview of LaRouche’s organizations is in
“LaRouche movement. “) The highest group within the NCLC is the “National
Executive Committee” (NEC), described as the “inner leadership circle” or “an elite
circle of insiders” that “oversees policy. ” The next most senior group is the “National
Committee” (NC), which is reportedly “one step beneath the NEC. ”

LICENSES AND ATTRIBUTIONS