Instructor Manual For Cengage Advantage Books:

American Government and Politics Today, Brief

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Instructor Manual For Cengage Advantage Books: American Government and Politics Today, Brief

CHAPTER 7
Interest
Groups and
Political Parties

 LEARNING OUTCOMES
The six Learning Outcomes (LOs) below are designed to help improve your understanding of
this chapter. After reading this chapter, you should be able to:
▪ LO1 Describe the basic characteristics of interest groups, and explain why Americans
join them.
▪ LO2 List the major types of interest groups, especially those with economic motivations.
▪ LO3 Discuss direct and indirect interest group techniques, and describe the main ways in
which lobbyists are regulated.
▪ LO4 Cite some of the major activities of U.S. political parties, and discuss how they are
organized.
▪ LO5 Explain how the history of U.S. political parties has led to the two major parties that
exist today.
▪ LO6 Give reasons why the two-party system has endured in America, and evaluate the
impact of third parties and independents on U.S. politics.

 SUMMARY OVERVIEW
Interest groups and political parties, together, are the two main elements of Chapter 7. Both
organizations are protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution, and its guarantees of
freedom of speech and association.
Sheltered by the Constitution, many different types of interest groups have formed, based on what
its members value most, be they economic, environmental, public-interest, ideological and
identity groups—even interest groups representing foreign interests.
The strategies that they employ to get what they want are varied and oftentimes complicated, but
they all have one simple goal: to gain legislative support for their agenda. They employ direct
techniques—such as pressuring legislators personally to vote the way the lobbying group would
like, setting up rating systems for politicians that “grade” them on their willingness to support the
interest group’s causes, or volunteering time and resources for their election or re-election
campaigns. They indirectly attempt to generate public pressure on politicians as well, typically by
mobilizing groups of constituents. In recent years, the effectiveness of interest groups remains
significant, despite several attempts by the government to limit the influence they can wield.
Political parties have always performed several important governmental functions—recruiting
candidates for public office, organizing and running elections, presenting alternative policies to

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50 Chapter 7: Interest Groups and Political Parties

the electorate, accepting responsibility for operating the government, and acting as the organized
opposition to the party in power. Ironically, the two parties with the most longevity and power in
the nation—the Democratic Party and the Republican Party—have confederal structures of
governance, with individual state parties retaining a great deal of autonomy from their national
committee. Each level of the party has its purposes. The national party hosts the convention and
creates the political platform that will hopefully become national policy. The national committee
directs the activities of the party during non-election years. State parties handle campaigning and
elections in their states. Local party organizations provide “foot soldiers” to get out the vote,
hand out literature, and try to sway voters in their party’s favor. When the party wins, its elected
officials become the party-in-government, attempting to turn the national platform into public
policy—which happens with mixed commitment and results.
Many political parties have come and gone, yet a two-party system has consistently been in
existence, with one party vigorously opposing another. With some exceptions, a pattern of
conservative party versus progressive-party can be seen: Federalists versus Democratic-
Republicans, Whigs versus Democrats, Democrats versus Republicans, and, amazingly,
Republicans versus Democrats, as the two parties largely traded places on the political spectrum
over the last century or so. Currently, a phenomenon of “wave elections” has occurred, where the
electorate has chosen one party, only to replace it relatively quickly with the other, and at times
choosing both. This happened in 2012, where Democrats won the White House and the Senate,
and Republicans gained a majority in the House of Representatives.
There are many reasons for the Democrats and Republicans being predominant in American
politics. Historical longevity is an important factor, as Republicans have been around since 1854
and Democrats claim a heritage going all the way back to Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.
Successive generations of Democrats and Republicans have politically socialized their
descendants, adding a continual foundation to their bases of support. Practical reasons have also
favored only two parties, including the difficulty of building a national political network and the
ability to run candidates at national, state, and local levels. The way the U.S. government is
structured promotes two parties, particularly with respect to the presidency, as a winner-take-all
system exists for each state’s electors. Single-member congressional districts favor two parties as
well, as do national and state laws, since they have dominated the government for so long.
Minor parties do exist, however, having either split from one of the two major parties or having
independently provided an alternative political outlook. The record number of political
independents bodes well for minor parties, but they still face an uphill battle for the hearts and
minds of the American public.

 CHAPTER OUTLINE
I. A NATION OF JOINERS
A. Interest Groups and Social Movements
B. Reasons to Join—or Not Join
1. Three Reasons to Join.
2. Those Who Do Not Join.
II. TYPES OF INTEREST GROUPS
A. Economic Interest Groups
1. Business Interest Groups.
2. Agricultural Interest Groups.
3. Labor Interest Groups.

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 Chapter 7: Interest Groups and Political Parties 51

4. Public Employee Unions.

5. The Political Environment Faced by Labor.
6. Interest Groups of Professionals.
7. The Unorganized Poor.
B. Environmental Groups
1. Today’s Environmental Groups.
2. Global Warming.
C. Public-Interest Groups
1. The Consumer Movement.
2. Other Public-Interest Groups.
D. Additional Types of Interest Groups
1. Ideological Groups.
2. Identity Groups.
E. Foreign Interest Groups
III. INTEREST GROUP STRATEGIES
A. Direct Techniques
1. Lobbying Techniques.
2. The Ratings Game.
3. Campaign Assistance.
B. Indirect Techniques
1. Generating Public Pressure.
2. Using Constituents as Lobbyists.
C. Regulating Lobbyists
1. The Lobbying Disclosure Act.
2. Recent Legislation.
IV. POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE UNITED STATES
A. Functions of Political Parties in the United States
B. Party Organization
1. The National Party Organization.
2. Convention Delegates.
3. The National Committee.
4. The State Party Organization.
5. Local Party Machinery: The Grassroots.
6. The Party-in-Government.
V. A HISTORY OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE UNITED STATES
A. The Formative Years: Federalists and Anti-Federalists
1. Federalists and Republicans.
2. The One-Party Interlude.
B. Democrats and Whigs
C. The Civil War Crisis
D. The Post–Civil War Period
1. Cultural Politics.
2. The Triumph of the Republicans.

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52 Chapter 7: Interest Groups and Political Parties

E. The Progressive Interlude

F. The New Deal Era
G. An Era of Divided Government
1. The Parties in Balance.
2. Red State, Blue State.
H. The Parties Today
1. Wave Elections Sweep out the Republicans.
2. Democrats in Trouble.
3. Republican Overreach.
4. The 2012 Elections.
VI. WHY HAS THE TWO-PARTY SYSTEM ENDURED?
A. The Historical Foundations of the Two-Party System
B. Political Socialization and Practical Considerations
C. The Winner-Take-All Electoral System
1. Presidential Voting.
2. Popular Election of the Governors and the President.
3. Proportional Representation.
D. State and Federal Laws Favoring the Two Parties
E. The Role of Minor Parties in U.S. Politics
1. Ideological Third Parties.
2. Splinter Parties.
3. The Impact of Minor Parties.
F. The Rise of the Independents

 TEACHING TOOLS
▪ LO1 Describe the basic characteristics of interest groups, and explain why Americans
join them.

Lecture Launcher
This Lecture Launcher demonstrates how social movements can turn into interest groups. Bring
up the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, and ask the class if they think that decision
started a controversy. After this is established, mention the existence of National Right to Life,
which was born out of an entire pro-life social movement from the Roe decision, that caused
others to rally in favor of keeping abortion legal, and groups like NARAL Pro-Choice were born
as a result. Explain the point of this chain reaction of sorts: that social movements often morph
into interest groups. From there, bring up the rest of this Learning Outcome.

Critical Thinking Question

Under what circumstances could an interest group give birth to an entire social movement, rather
than the other way around? Is such an event impossible in American politics? Why (or why not)?

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 Chapter 7: Interest Groups and Political Parties 53

In-Class Activity
This activity, through the vehicle of creating an interest group from scratch, helps illustrate this
Learning Outcome. Ask the class to create an interest group of their own, based on an issue that,
to the best of their knowledge, is not being addressed by a major interest group already. Using the
material in this chapter, have them list reasons why Americans should join their group, activities
that interest group should engage in, fundraising ideas, and strategies to achieve their objectives.
When they are finished doing this, ask the class if their current plans would guarantee their
interest group a chance of success, based on what other interest groups do, as revealed in
the chapter.

▪ LO2 List the major types of interest groups, especially those with economic motivations.

Lecture Launcher
Ask the class to name any single interest group they can think of. When one is mentioned, ask if
there is any economic benefit for the members of that interest group, or for the people that interest
group advocates for; and if so, what those economic benefits are. Once this is reasonably
established, continue asking the class to name an interest group, and determine whether or not it
carries economic benefits for members or for people they advocate. Then, ask the class if all of
the interest groups they named are economic interest groups per se, as your book mentions them.
The discussion from this point should establish a sufficient basis for an extension into the rest of
this chapter.

Critical Thinking Question

Can every interest group that earns economic benefits for its members be considered an economic
interest group? Under what circumstances would this not be the case?

In-Class Activity
This activity is designed to take more than one class session to complete, but if sufficient
resources exist within the classroom or campus, it can be done in one session. Divide the class
into six groups. Assign each group a category of interest group in this chapter, and ask them to
list as many of those organizations as possible. Then, after researching each interest group on
their list, have them rank each group in order of effectiveness from most effective to least
effective. Have each group present their findings, and be open for questions and answers from the
other groups about why they ranked the groups as they have.

▪ LO3 Discuss direct and indirect interest group techniques, and describe the main ways in
which lobbyists are regulated.

Lecture Launcher
Bring up the “revolving door” phenomenon in Congress, where individuals who work for the
government become lobbyists when they either lose elections, retire, or otherwise “leave”
the government. This website keeps track of the many politicians who do this:
http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/. After this phenomenon is discussed, ask the class if they
think regulating the activities of these lobbyists should be a priority. The ensuing discussion

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54 Chapter 7: Interest Groups and Political Parties

should provide a sufficient basis from which to launch into the other parts of the chapter and/or
this Learning Outcome.

Critical Thinking Question

Does the size of an interest group matter more than the quality of its leadership, financial
resources, or other factors in determining how effective that group is? If so, why? If not, what
other factor(s) is/are more important and why?

In-Class Activity
This activity analyzes the exploits of one particular interest group: Citizens Against Government
Waste (http://cagw.org/). After analyzing the site, ask the class to judge the effectiveness of its
main goal (to stop government waste) by comparing what the group does to the techniques and
methods outlined in the text. This can be done in groups (where each group compares one
particular activity of CAGW to one mentioned in the book), or as a class, assessing and reporting
on its overall effectiveness.

▪ LO4 Cite some of the major activities of U.S. political parties, and discuss how they are
organized.

Lecture Launcher
This Lecture Launcher takes a look at a Green Party candidate for President back in 2000: the
former Dead Kennedys’ frontman Jello Biafra. His campaign manifesto may be found at
http://www.greens.org/s-r/22/22-02.html. After reading his platform, or summarizing it, students
should be sufficiently shocked or galvanized into discussing his appeal (or lack thereof)
compared to what Democrats and Republicans have traditionally stood for, generating sufficient
interest to begin a lecture of the material in this chapter.

Critical Thinking Question

How critical are the Democratic and Republican parties to the ability of the United States to
function today?

In-Class Activity
After consulting the main websites of the Democrats (http://www.democrats.org/) and the
Republicans (http://gop.org), convene a debate of ideas to try to get undecided students to join,
donate to, or otherwise support either party. Do this by organizing the class into three groups:
Democrats, Republicans, and Undecideds. Give the Democrats and Republicans sufficient time to
research their party‘s activities from the text, as well as from their websites or other sources, and
give a presentation to the Undecideds. Give both parties equal time for their presentations, allow
for question-and-answer sessions from the Undecideds (or, if real excitement needs generating,
from the other party as well), and when both presentations are complete, poll the Undecideds to
determine which party “won” in terms of gaining supporters or converts.

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 Chapter 7: Interest Groups and Political Parties 55

▪ LO5 Explain how the history of U.S. political parties has led to the two major parties that
exist today.

Lecture Launcher
Ask the class this question: “Which of the two main political parties today advocate change more
than the other, and why?” After a sufficient discussion, ask which party advocates a return to
more traditional values, compared to the other. Then, after enough discussion, ask the class if
they think the two parties held these same views in 1854, the year the Republican Party was
founded. Let the discussion generate from there if sufficient prior historical knowledge exists, or
simply state that the positions of both parties were complete opposites in terms of political
change, and emphasize how much things have changed in terms of issues since 1854, and well
before then as well. This discussion should generate a fair basis upon which to launch into a
lecture on the history of the political parties in the United States today.

Critical Thinking Question

Given how the history of U. S. political parties has evolved, what would it take for the main
positions of the two political parties to change significantly today, and why?

In-Class Activity
Convene a panel discussion centered on discussing this topic: “Today’s Democratic and
Republican Parties are essentially no different from each other.” Panelists should research the
platforms of both political parties, as well as their relevant websites and other sources, in order to
discuss whether they agree with the premise of the discussion. After a question-and-answer
session from the class to the panelists, try to reach a class consensus of the degree of similarity
between the two parties.

▪ LO6 Give reasons why the two-party system has endured in America, and evaluate the
impact of third parties and independents on U.S. politics.

Lecture Launcher
This Lecture Launcher attempts to answer the first part of this Learning Outcome in its entirety.
Start by asking the class a simple question: “Why have we only elected Democrats or
Republicans for most of our country’s history?” For each answer that students give, ask the class
to assess whether or not that answer could also be a reason why the two-party system has endured
in the United States. A sufficient number of answers and connections to why the two-party
system has endured, especially if students have read the chapter in advance, could actually satisfy
the entire Learning Outcome, or at the very least form a solid basis for launching into the rest of
the chapter’s material.

Critical Thinking Question

Using the election platform of Jello Biafra, cited above as well as here (http://www.greens.org/s-
r/22/22-02.html), did Biafra’s platform provide reasonable, plausible alternatives to the
Democrats and the Republicans? If so, what were they? If not, are ideas or issues represented that
could be addressed or adopted by any political party? Why (or why not)?

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56 Chapter 7: Interest Groups and Political Parties

In-Class Activity
Divide the class into several groups, and allow each group to pick a third party to conduct a
research presentation to the class. Groups should research and present the political platform of
their chosen party, and assess whether or not the Democrats and/or the Republicans could
effectively steal those ideas from their originators. Then, once all the groups have presented, ask
the class to assess whether or not these third parties do a better service to the country as idea
mines for the two main parties, or if ascension by any of these third parties to the status of a
major party would be a good thing for the United States—and why.

 KEY TERMS
Democratic Party One of the two major American political parties evolving out of
the Republican Party of Thomas Jefferson.
direct technique An interest group technique that uses direct interaction with
government officials to further the group’s goals.
divided government A situation in which one major political party controls the
presidency and the other controls Congress or in which one party
controls a state governorship and the other controls the state
legislature.
Electoral College A group of persons, called electors, who are selected by the
voters in each state. This group officially elects the president and
the vice president of the United States.
free-rider problem The difficulty that interest groups face in recruiting members
when the benefits they achieve can be gained without joining the
group.
GOP A nickname for the Republican Party, which stands for “grand
old party.”
independent A voter or candidate who does not identify with a political party
indirect technique An interest group technique that uses third parties to influence
government officials.
interest group An organized group of individuals sharing common objectives
who actively attempt to influence policymakers.
labor movement The economic and political expression of working class interests.
lobbyist An organization or individual who attempts to influence the
passage, defeat, or content of legislation and the government’s
administrative decisions.
national committee A standing committee of a national political party established to
direct and coordinate party activities between national party
conventions.
national convention The meeting held every four years by each major party to select
presidential and vice-presidential candidates, write a platform,
choose a national committee, and conduct party business.
party identification Linking oneself to a particular political party.

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 Chapter 7: Interest Groups and Political Parties 57

party organization The formal structure and leadership of a political party, including
election committees; local, state, and national executives; and
paid professional staff.
party platform A document drawn up at each national convention, outlining the
policies, positions, and principles of the party.
patronage The practice of rewarding faithful party workers and followers
with government employment and contracts.
plurality A number of votes cast for a candidate that is greater than the
number of votes for any other candidate but not necessarily a
majority.
political party A group of political activists who organize to win elections,
operate the government, and determine public policy.
public interest The best interests of the overall community; the national good,
rather than the narrow interests of a particular group.
realignment A large-scale, lasting change in the types of voters who support
each of the major political parties.
Republican Party One of the two major American political parties. It emerged in
the 1850s as an antislavery party and consisted of former
northern Whigs and antislavery Democrats.
service sector The sector of the economy that provides services—such as
health care, banking, and education—in contrast to the sector
that produces goods.
social movement A movement that represents the demands of a large segment of
the public for political, economic, or social change.
splinter party A new party formed by a dissident faction within a major
political party. Often, splinter parties have emerged when a
particular personality was at odds with the major party.
state central committee The principal organized structure of each political party within
each state. This committee is responsible for carrying out policy
decisions of the party’s state convention.
straight-ticket voting Voting exclusively for the candidates of one party.
third party A political party other than the two major political parties
(Republican and Democratic).
ticket splitting Voting for candidates of two or more parties for different offices.
For example, a voter splits her ticket if she votes for a
Republican presidential candidate and for a Democratic
congressional candidate.
two-party system A political system in which only two parties have a reasonable
chance of winning.
unit rule A rule by which all of a state’s electoral votes are cast for the
presidential candidate who receives a plurality of the votes in
that state.

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58 Chapter 7: Interest Groups and Political Parties

Whig Party A major party in the United States during the first half of the
nineteenth century, formally established in 1836. The Whig
Party was anti-Jackson and advocated spending on infrastructure.

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Chapter 7: Interest Groups and Political Parties 59

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