Organized Interests. Why study organized interests? Do interest groups ma;er? 10/29/09

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1 Organized Interests Keeping the Republic, Chapter 11 Lone Star Politics, pages Why study organized interests? There is no reason that good cannot triumph over evil so long as the angels are as organized as the Mafia. Kurt Vonnegut The Cathedral Walls Do interest groups ma;er? The American Associa>on of Re>red Person produces Modern Maturity that reaches 22 million households and is the na>on s largestcircula>on magazine. The AARP s membership is more than 33 million (1 out of every 5 registered voters) 1

2 Organized Interests Any organiza>on that that a;empts to influence public policy decisions. What do they do? Representa>on Poli>cal Par>cipa>on Educa>on of ci>zens and public officials Provide new ideas Agenda building Program Monitoring Why do people join (or not)? Solidarity Benefits The benefit of interac>on and bonding among group members Helps ci>zens develop a sense of iden>ty 2

3 Expressive Benefits The enjoyment you get from joining a group to publically support a cause. Disturbance Theory Individuals join interest groups in response to a perceived threat to their poli>cal interests. Material Benefits Tangible benefits of group membership Lead to the Free Rider Problem When individuals enjoy the benefits of a group s efforts without contribu>ng themselves. 3

4 What Kind of Groups Form? Small groups Groups with individuals with strong preferences The Producer Bias The Producer Bias People who produce a good or service are less numerous than the people who consume a product care a great deal about the policies related to that product Overcoming the Free Rider Problem What kind of benefits do organized interests produce? Collec>ve Selec>ve 4

5 Collec>ve Benefits Benefits available to all members of a society, whether or not they belong to the group that was responsible for the produc>on of the benefit Clean Air Jus>ce Any good public policy Selec>ve Incen>ves Benefits available only to members of the group that helped produce them AARP Selec>ve Incen>ves The AARP monthly magazine Discounted health insurance Travel discounts All for $12.50 in annual dues. 5

6 Joining the NRA An official NRA Membership ID card Choice of subscrip>on to American Rifleman, American Hunter, America's 1st Freedom, or Woman's Outlook. $10,000 of Accidental Death and Dismemberment No Cost Accident Benefit insured firearms, air guns, bows and arrows against theg, accidental loss, and damage. The most important benefit of NRA membership, however, is the defense of your Cons>tu>onal right to keep and bear arms. Types of Interest Groups What kind of interests do you find in Washington and Aus>n? Economic Interests Individual Businesses have 1,700 full >me lobbyists in Washington About 2,200 of Business and Trade groups have offices in Washington Many labor unions have offices in DC 6

7 Public Interest Groups Organize to influence government to produce collec>ve goods or services that benefit the general public About 2,200 have offices in DC ACLU Common Cause Consumer Union Conserva>ve Caucus Also, single issue groups Equal opportunity groups Organize to promote the civil and economic rights of underrepresented or disadvantaged groups Governments The intergovernmental lobby State and local governments lobby the na>onal government for federal grants and favorable federal policies At least 45 California governing bodies have lobbyists in DC 7

8 Influencing the Government Direct vs. Indirect Lobbying Direct Lobbying: The Inside Game Direct Methods involving direct interac>on with public officials for the purpose of influencing policy decisions. In 2005 there were 21,500 lobbyist in Washington and $2.4 billion dollars was spent on lobbying the federal government. In 2007 DC s top lobbying firm (PaLon Boggs) made $42.7 million. In 2005 there were1,703 lobbyists in AusQn with contracts totaling about $300 million. Lobbying in Texas Depending on how you rate states, Texas is either #1 or #2 in lobbying State Spending Lobbyists Clients 1 California $227,940,496 1,162 2,639 2 Texas $173,594,357 1,703 2,644 3 New York $149,000,000 4,264 2,656 4 Pennsylvania $124,813, ,261 5 Massachusetts $70,955, ,057 Texas has 8 lobbyists per legislator. Texans for Public Justice, August

9 Lobby Dollars by Topic Texans for Public Justice, 2006 The Revolving Door Many people go directly from service in government to lobbying A 2006 study by Poli>cal Money Line found 318 former members of Congress working as lobbyists. Texas has more former state lawmakers lobbying the state legislature (70) than any other state The Rise of Lobbying Firms The 35 biggest lobbying/public rela>ons firms in DC employ more than 2,000 people. 9

10 Influencing the Execu>ve Branch The Revolving Door in the White House Monitoring Administra>ve Ac>vi>es White House Office of Public Liaison Office working full >me with interest groups. Influencing the Courts Li>ga>on challenging laws Interest groups ogen file legal suits against laws or administra>ve regula>ons that they feel harm the interests of their members. Amicus curiae briefs An interest group not directly involved in a court case can file a brief in an a;empt to influence the decision. Also known as a friend of the court brief Indirect Methods Working through others usually people outside the capitol. 10

11 Mobilizing Group Members The process of gepng a group s members ac>ve on an issue. Beyond organizing their own members, groups will a;empt to get ci>zens to lobby Congress for their cause Mobilizing the Public Grassroots Pertaining to, or involving the common people, especially as contrasted to the elite Astroturf Lobbying Lobbying orchestrated by elites rather than the needs of average ci>zens. Shaping Public Opinion Demonstra>ons Commi;ee Tes>mony Mass Mailing Issue Advocacy Ads 11

12 Civil Disobedience Civil disobedience is breaking laws in order to pressure legislators to change perceived unjust laws. Campaign Ac>vi>es Poli>cal Ac>on Commi;ees Interest Group Ra>ngs Get Out the Vote Drives Phone Banks Volunteers Access Inequality Does the system work for everyone? 12

13 Pluralists The pluralists perspec>ve is the belief that numerous groups freely compe>ng with one another for influence over policy will produce fair outcomes. Cri>cisms of Pluralism Who can afford representa>on? The flaw in the pluralist heaven is that the heavenly chorus sings with a strong upper class accent Problems of collec>ve ac>on The Free Rider Problem 13