What is a interest group?
a private organization that seeks to persuade public officials to respond to the shared attitudes of is members
Who do interest groups try to influence?
public policy makers (legislators, executive agencies, and the courts)
What does PAC stand for?
Political Action Committee
Why do interest groups form PACs?
to collect money to influence candidates/ political parties
What cannot be used to support candidate/ political parties?
membership dues
What can be used to support candidate/ political parties?
PAC contributions
Can a person join an interest group?
Yes
Can a person join a PAC of an interest group?
No
Who and what do interest groups support?
Candidates/ political parties
What do lobbyists do?
Try to gain access to politicians/ candidates and use a variety of techniques to influence decision makers
Which branches of gov't do lobbyist seek to influence?
All three branches
Why do lobbyists lobby the executive branch?
to seek policy changes
Why do lobbyists lobby the legislative branch?
to seek policy change and money for the change
Why do lobbyists lobby the judicial branch?
to present amicus curiae briefs
What does amicus curiae mean?
friend of the court
Why do interest groups use the amicus curiae briefs?
if they are not directly involved in a case but may want to add their "two cents worth" hoping to influence the Court's decision because their group may be affected by it
What groups use the amicus curiae briefs as a way to lobby?
Civil Rights Groups and Women's Groups
What did James Madison call private pressure groups?
Factions
What did Madison believe about factions?
they were dangerous and must be controlled
What are events and issues affecting the country as a whole?
public affairs
What do interest groups focus on?
One public issue
These do not nominate candidates
interest groups
What do political parties focus on?
a range of public affairs
These do nominate candidates
political parties
What are the things that a gov't plans and tries to do?
public policy
What provides legal protection for the activities of the interest group?
1st amendment
What was James Madison's view on interest groups?
The separation of powers in the American system would tend to balance out the of interest groups
Public officials represent people on a basis of what?
moral values
Interest groups represent people on the basis of their what?
economic interests
What do some interest groups rely on to win their goals?
corrupt, high-pressure tactics
Well-financed and well-organized interest groups usually have what?
A disproportionate influence
What is a common criticism of interest groups?
some powerful groups do not really represent the interests or view of the people for whom they claim to speak
What is the Chamber of Commerce?
an organization that speaks mostly for small- business owners
The AFL-CIO, National Treasury Employees Union, and the Fraternal Order of Police are examples of what type of group?
Labor Unions
What are the majority of interest groups founded on?
the basis of their members' shared economic interests
A trade association is formed by people who what?
are in the same type of business
What are examples of groups that promote causes?
the Sierra Club, the National Women's Political Caucus, and the League of Women Voters
Why are there a wide variety of agricultural groups?
the nation's farmers do not all have the same interests
What is propaganda?
the use of certain words, phrases, pictures to sway the public's opinion on an issue
What is the Glittering Generality technique?
Saying something that's not that specific. Ex: "It's the American way
What is the Plain Folks technique?
candidates dress in jeans and t-shirts to try to identify themselves as the average person
What is the Bandwagon Effect technique?
Everybody's doing it, so you should too
What is the Fallacy technique?
An error in reasoning; placing the blame on someone when it wasn't really their fault. Ex. blaming the president for the recession or giving credit where it doesn't belong
What is the testimonials technique?
public figures endorse candidates, products, etc.
What is the Card Stacking technique?
a person's success in one area leads people to believe that he/she will be successful in another area. Ex: military leaders being elected president
What is the Name Calling technique?
using words to make assumptions or associations about a person. Ex: calling a person a hawk (strong on war/ defense) or calling someone a dove (against war/ soft on defense)