Interest Group

Interest Groups

According to Federalist 10, as long as we have freedom, people are going to join into groups. The major difference between an interest group and a political party is that parties run candidates for office. Most people who are involved with interest groups have the greatest stake in government. They are usually older, highly educated, and upper class. While there are many interest groups that represent the homeless, disenfranchised, poor, or discriminated against, the leadership structure usually fits the profile described earlier. Some groups are mainly concerned with a certain area of policy and are not necessarily searching for financial benefits for their members. Interest groups provide campaign contributions to elected officials and use the media to distribute their messages. However, the most common source of interest group power is the use of the lobbyist. A lobbyist is a person employed by an interest group to meet face-to-face with lawmakers to make sure the position of the interest groups is known.

How do Interest Groups Work?

The most powerful tool of Interest Groups is their involvement with the Legislative and Executive Branches of government. Because these three groups have such an influence over policy, their relationship is known as an iron triangle.

Examples of Interest Groups

The image below gives a few examples of interest groups and what they stand for.

NRA: The NRA is concerned about protecting and expanding 2nd Amendment rights.
International Brotherhood of Teamsters: The International Brotherhood of Teamsters wants laws that benefit labor unions.
Incredible! The American Egg Board represents the interest of Dairy Farmers.
Sierra Club: The Sierra Club work to pass legislation that protects the environment.

Lobbyists

There are over twelve thousand registered lobbyists in Washington, but only a handful of those have the influence and connections needed to consistently influence policy. Lobbyists work for a wide variety of groups, ranging from individual companies and non-profit organizations, to other governments and large coordinated councils representing whole industries, labor movements, or consumers. Lobbyists work to directly persuade decision makers in Congress along with members of the executive branch.

The impact of lobbyists is unclear, but many believe they can influence public policy. One example is the strength and influence of the National Rifle Association (NRA), who are advocates for gun rights. They also oppose gun regulations and legislation that infringe on the privacy of gun owners in the United States, who has one of the most lenient gun regulations in the Global North.

Political Action Committees (PACs)

PACs are organized groups that work on election campaigns often on behalf of specific parties and ballot initiatives. These groups pool donations to redistribute to candidates, parties, and other PACs. Federal Election Commission (FEC) regulations limit the amount of money PACs can donate to any one campaign or party, and there are limits to the amount of money they can receive from any one donor.

PACs can be connected to existing organizations such as business, labor or trade organizations or non-connected, usually rallying around a single issue or ideology.

While PACs have existed since the 1940s, the 2010 SpeechNow.org v. Federal Election Commission decision of the Supreme Court created a new form of PAC. They are officially known as independent expenditure-only committees, but better known as Super PACs. These groups can raise money without limits from individuals, organizations, and large donors such as corporations or labor unions. Super PACs can also spend unlimited amounts of money advocating for or against a candidate or issue, but may not donate to, or coordinate with, a particular campaign.

The SpeechNow.org case built on the decision in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case earlier in 2010, which held that the First Amendment right to free speech meant that legislatures could not limit independent political spending by corporations and unions.

The 2012 election cycle is the first presidential election to be held under the new rules. Before the campaigns even ended, the Super PACs had outspent the top ten PACs from 2008 by at least tenfold. A large majority of Super PAC donations also come from wealthy individual donors. By October 2012, the top 100 individual Super PAC donors donated 80% of all Super PAC funds, yet made up fewer than 4% of all donors.

Information and Watchdogs

Critics of Super PACs are concerned that these groups can, in effect, "buy" elections. If elected, the candidates may then feel a special obligation to these wealthy donors and organizations. Several groups now exist to track the connections between Members of Congress, lobbyists, and campaign financing. Some of these groups include the Center for Responsive Politics and the OpenCongress.org website.

The Paths of Interest Group Influence
Intermediaries, Congress, Public at Large Individual Constituencies, Interest Groups.

IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS