Interest Groups
The group basis of presidential
coalitions. Key demographic and organized groups for Dems. and Repub.
Demographic groups -- Ds:
women, racial minorities, young, less educated, poor, and retired. Rs: white men,
church-going, wealthy, and middle aged.
Organized groups Ds:
labor, environment, lawyers, public employees. Rs business generally (esp. oil, banking/ finance).
Campaign contributions to current presidential candidates by
sector:
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/select.asp?cycle=2008
Types of interest groups
Material (business, labor, professions). Examples:
major corporations from ATT to Proctor and Gamble; Teamsters, AFT; AMA,
Expressive (non-material)
Group is formed around an idea or cause (environment, abortion, consumer
protection). Open
secrets list of expressive groups.
2005-06 Dem PAC contributions
PAC Name Total
Intl
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers $2,706,575
American
Assn for Justice $2,456,500
Laborers
Union $2,278,150
United
Auto Workers $2,197,850
Operating
Engineers Union $2,171,735
American
Federation of Teachers $2,088,448
Amer Fedn of St/Cnty/Munic Employees $2,006,685
Teamsters
Union $1,897,100
National
Assn of Realtors $1,827,505
Plumbers/Pipefitters Union $1,765,150
2005-06 Repub PAC contributions
PAC Name Total
National
Assn of Home Builders $2,130,000
National
Beer Wholesalers Assn $2,028,000
National
Auto Dealers Assn $1,978,500
National
Assn of Realtors $1,904,500
American
Bankers Assn $1,749,599
AT&T
Inc $1,549,433
United
Parcel Service $1,511,308
American
Medical Assn $1,382,850
National
Restaurant Assn $1,343,296
Credit
Union National Assn $1,296,605
2006 party contributions to Repubs,
by sector
2006 party contributions to Dems,
by sector
Interest group activities
Grassroots versus insider. Increase in numbers.
Lobbying Congress or the bureaucracy on policy (direct
meetings, testifying at hearings, prepare other witnesses), elections (direct
contributions, mobilize voters, and independent expenditures), courts (amicus
briefs, appointments), direct democracy (get initiatives on ballots).
Executive lobbying:
very little direct lobbying of the Pres or his aides. Most happens in the bureaucracy. Comment on proposed rules and regulations. Testify at executive agency hearings, serve
on agency advisory boards.
Assessing the role of interest groups
Pluralism and its critics.
Pluralists: interest groups play a valuable role in
democracy. Allow for the expression of
intense views.
Mancur Olson many views will not be hear because of the
collective action (free rider) problem.
Schattschneider upper class bias of interest group system
Second face of power hard to assess the real impact of interest
groups. Much activity happens
behind the scenes. Lobbying disclosure
laws help get at this.
Interest groups, cont.
Contentious elites (Tichenor) -- Affiliated
(collaborative), unaffiliated (adversarial) and the ability of presidents to
affect policy (broad or narrow). Traditional wisdom that
parties and IGs are at cross-purposes.
Apply President Bush to this model
John DiIulio Special K article. Huge
influence of interest groups in writing legislation. Much of that money and influence is flowing
to Dems now.
Christian Right article tremendous influence early on, struggling
for influence now.