CHAPTER 16 INTEREST GROUPS Chapter Goals and Learning
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CHAPTER 16 INTEREST GROUPS Chapter Goals and Learning Objectives One of the most influential men in Washington during the late 1990s and through much of the first term of George W. Bush was a Washington, D.C. lobbyist named Jack Abramoff. As a former President of the College National Republican Committee, Abramoff used his long-standing college political alliances to advance his career, eventually joining a prominent law firm’s Washington, D.C. office as a lobbyist after the Republican take over of the U.S. House in the mid-1990s. He developed friendships with such Republican luminaries as Ralph Reed and House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. Abramoff’s influence grew with the Republican controlled Congress and the new administration of President George W. Bush, even serving on the 2001 Bush Administration’s Transition Team. However, in January of 2006, Abramoff pled guilty to several felony criminal counts in a Washington, D.C., federal court on fraud and corruption of public officials charges. In March of 2006, he was sentenced to over five years in prison and ordered to pay restitution of more than $21 million. Abramoff’s case was exceptional. Most lobbyists in Washington go about their business of representing clients in the halls of Congress and before federal agencies without committing fraud or bribery. Yet the Abramoff scandal caused an intense focus on the business of lobbying and the role of special interest groups in American politics and government. Special interest groups spend incredible amounts of money in an attempt to sway the votes of members of Congress and decision-makers in the executive branch. One must question, however, whether the interests of the working man and woman, the student, the poor, the mid-level executive, the elementary teacher and other Americans without the wherewithal to hire million-dollar lobbyists are being forgotten in Washington thanks to the power and influence of wealthy corporate special interest groups. James Madison in the Federalist Papers warned against “a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens or to the permanent and aggregate interest of the community.” Madison called these groups “factions.” Today we might call them interest groups. Thomas Hobbes and other early political philosophers discussed the designs of self- interest among men in society—beasts in competition. Some Americans today fault interest groups as “selfish interest groups,” seeking benefits for the few at the expense of the many. Yet, as a society that has its roots in the concept of individual freedom, do we not want individuals and groups to seek support for their unique, individual interests? What is the role of interest groups in American government? Participation in the political 277 process is necessary for a democracy to flourish. Is it necessary and beneficial that individuals and groups pressure policy makers at all levels of government? What are interest groups today? What do they seek and how do they operate? Do they supplement and complement political parties? Do they enhance representation? Or are they vehicles for powerful and wealthy interests to take over policy making? Do you have interests that could be served by participating in an interest group? This chapter addresses these questions and others about the nature of interest groups and participation in America. This chapter is designed to give you some ideas about the nature and desirability of interest groups. The main topic headings of the chapter are: • What Are Interest Groups? • The Origins and Development of American Interest Groups • What Do Interest Groups Do? • What Makes an Interest Group Successful? In each section, there are certain facts and ideas that you should strive to understand. Many are in boldface type and appear in both the narrative and in the glossary at the end of the book. Other ideas, dates, facts, events, people, etc. are more difficult to pull out of the narrative. (Keep in mind that studying for objective tests [multiple choice, T/F] is different than studying for essay tests. See the Study Guide section on test taking for hints on study skills.) In general, after you finish reading and studying this chapter, you should understand the following: • what interest groups are • the historical roots and the development of interest groups in America • what interest groups do, their strategies and tactics to further their agendas • what makes an interest group successful Chapter Outline and Key Points In this section, you are provided with a basic outline of the chapter and key words/points you should know. Use this outline to develop a complete outline of the material. Write the definitions or further explanations for the terms. Use the space provided in this workbook or rewrite that material in your notebook. This will help you study and remember the material in preparation for your tests, assignments, and papers. importance of citizen participation in political or civic interest groups— the changing face of interest group politics in the U.S.— “bowling alone”— 278 social capital— civic virtue— What Are Interest Groups? interest groups— disturbance theory— Kinds of Organized Interests Public Interest Groups— Common Cause— MoveOn.org— Economic Interest Groups— business groups (including trade and professional groups)— labor organizations— most fully and effectively organized of all types of interest groups— reason for existence— Governmental Units— state and local interests— federal earmarks— Political Action Committees— 1974 amendments to the federal Election Campaign Act— PACs— nature and characteristics of PACs— Multi-Issue Versus Single-Issue Interest Groups— multi-issue groups (and examples)— 279 single-issue groups (and examples)— Profiles of Selected Interest Groups (Table 16.1)— The Origins and Development of American Interest Groups James Madison and factions— concern over any one individual or group of individuals becoming too influential— role of decentralizing power— National Groups Emerge (1830-1889) effect of the improvement of communications networks— Women’s Christian Temperance Union— The Grange— larger role of business interest after the civil war— oil, steel, and sugar industries— railroad industry— lobbyist— Progressive Era (1890-1920) changes by the 1890s— Progressive movement— national government begins to regulate business— Organized Labor— American Federation of Labor— open shop laws— 1914 Clayton Act— 280 Business Groups— National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)— President Wilson denounces NAM’s tactics— trade associations— U.S. Chamber of Commerce— 1928 FTC investigation of lobbying tactics of business groups— The Rise of the Interest Group State rise of the Progressive spirit in the 1960s and 1970s— ACLU— NAACP— AARP— Common Cause— Public Citizen, Inc.— Ralph Nader— Unsafe at Any Speed— “Nader Network”— AARP— Conservative Response: Religious and Ideological Groups conservative response to Progressive groups of the 1960s and 1970s— 1978, Jerry Falwell and the “Moral Majority”— 1990, Pat Robertson and the Christian Coalition— Bush and his Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives— National Rifle Association (NRA)— 281 Focus on the American Family— Students for Academic Freedom— Business Groups, Corporations, and Associations some business people dissatisfied with NAM or Chamber of Commerce— Business Roundtable— Kyoto Protocol— corporations with their own government affairs departments also hire D.C.-based lobbyists— 527 groups— 527 groups’ 2004 contributions— congressional family members as well as former members of Congress work as lobbyists— Organized Labor Labor Union Membership (Figure 16.2)— American Federation of Labor (AFL) merges with Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) in 1955— AFL-CIO— labor members (and clout) diminishes— electoral weaknesses evident in 2004 presidential primaries— split at 2005 annual AFL-CIO meeting— Service Employees International Union (SEIU)— Change to Win Coalition— Andrew Stern— James Hoffa— 282 What Do Interest Groups Do? what interests groups do— working for their members’ interests— NAACP efforts for its members— downside to interest groups— interest groups play important role in U.S. politics— Lobbying lobbying— how term came about— hiring lobbying firms— Groups and Lobbyists Using Each Lobbying Technique (Table 16.2)— Lobbying Congress— efforts to reform lobbying— wide variety of lobbying techniques— outright payment of money (bribery)— former members and staff as lobbyists— skills of lobbyists— developing close relations with members of Congress— symbiotic relations— lobbyists and representatives who share interests— lobbyists reputation for fair play and accurate information— Leaving Congress for Lobbying Careers (Figure 16.4)— Tom DeLay’s K Street Project— 283 Lobbying the Executive Branch— importance and frequency of lobbying executive branch increasing because of what?— many potential access points— influencing policy decisions at formulation and implementation stages— importance of ability to provide decision makers with important information and sense of public opinion— interest groups and regulatory agencies— monitoring the implementation of laws or policies— Lobbying the Courts— types of efforts to lobby the courts— amicus curiae briefs— influencing nominations to federal courts— paying for “informational conferences”— Scalia, golf, and the Federalist Society— Grassroots