Interest Groups

Mr. Beaucar
US Government
Interest Groups
The Nature of Interest Groups

Guiding Question:
What roles do interest groups play in our political system?
Interest Group: is a collection of people who share certain
views on public matters and work to shape public policy to
their benefit. They try to persuade public officials to
respond to their positions favorably.
These organizations provide one of the most effective ways
in which Americans can get government to react to their
wants and needs.
 The Role of Interest Groups

Think to yourself:
 What is your stand on gun control?

 How do feel about Global Warming?

 What issue do you feel really strong about?

 How can you increase the chance that your position is heard and
understood?
 Joining with others who share your opinions is both practical
and democratic.
 Interest Groups are sometimes called “Pressure Groups” and
often “Organized Interest” or “Special Interests”
 The Role of Interest Groups

 Every interest groups seeks to influence the making and

content of public policy.
 It’s not dominated by any one elite.

 They operate at every level of government

 Capital Hill
 Everywhere in Washington D.C.
 All of the 50 state capitals
 In thousands of city halls and county courthouses
Parties and Interest Groups
 Parties and Interest Groups

Interest groups are made up of people who join together

for some political purpose, much like political parties.
Parties and interest groups overlap in many ways. They
differ from each other in three significant ways
1. Parties nominate candidates for public office; interest
groups do not.
2. Interest groups are mainly concerned with controlling or
influencing the policies of government.
3. Political parties are concerned with whole range of public
affairs. Interest groups always concentrate on the issues
that directly affect the interest of their members.
 Interest Groups Good or Bad?

Do interest groups pose a threat to the

wellbeing of the American political
system?

Or are they instead, a valuable part of

that system?
 Interest Groups Valuable
Functions
1. Organized interests help to stimulate awareness of and interest in public
affairs.

2. Interest groups represent their members on the basis of shared attitudes

rather than on the basis of geography—by what their members think as
opposed to where they happen to live.

3. Organized interests often provide useful information to government.

4. Interest groups are vehicles for political participation. Most people are not
inclined to run for and hold public office, or even volunteer for a campaign.

5. Interest groups add another element to the checks-and-balances feature of

the political process.

6. Interest group regularly compete with one another in the public arena.
 Interest Groups Criticisms

Interest groups however

are not above criticism,
many groups push their
own special interests
which, despite their
clams to the contrary, are
not always in the best
interests of the American
people.
 Interest Groups Criticisms

1. Some interest groups have an influence far out of proportion to their

size, or to their importance or contribution to the public good. The
more organized and better-financed groups often have a decided
advantage.

2. Hard to tell just who or how many people a group really represents.
Many groups have titles that suggest that they have thousands—
millions of members.

3. Many groups do not represent the views of all the people for they
claim to speak for. An organization can be dominated by an active
minority who conduct the groups affairs and make its policy
decisions.

4. Some groups use tactics that, if they were to become widespread

would undermine the whole political system:
 Interest Groups Criticisms cont.

 Some groups use tactics that, if they were to become

widespread would undermine the whole political system:
 Bribery
 Heavy handed uses of money
 Open threats
 Revenge
Interest Groups Influence
 Jack Abramoff

 The illegal behavior of a number of representatives of

special interests was exposed.

 Abramoff, several of his associates and a member of

congress were sent to federal prison, convicted of bribery
and other offenses.

 Funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars into

congressional campaigns. Provided:
 All –expense paid trips to resorts
 Skybox tickets to professional sports games
 Free dinners
 Jack Abramoff

All in exchange for legislative favors.

Those favors included: The

introduction of bills written to
benefit Abramoff’s clients and
other attempts to shape
lawmaking.
Jack Abramoff video
 Essential Question

To what extent do interest groups advance or harm

democracy?