AP US Government AMSCO Guided Notes
5.17: Interest Groups
AP US Government Guided Notes
AMSCO 5.17 - Interest Groups
Essential Questions
- What are the benefits and potential problems of interest-group influence on elections and policy making?
- How do various political actors influence public policy outcomes?
I. Interest Groups Influencing Policy Making
1. What is an interest group and how do they function as linkage institutions?
2. Why did James Madison express concern about factions in Federalist No. 10?
A. Benefits of Interest Groups
1. How does the American system of federalism and separation of powers encourage interest group formation?
2. What benefits do interest groups provide to democratic participation and policymaking?
3. How do interest groups educate the public and mobilize support for their positions?
B. Drawbacks of Interest Groups
1. What is hyperpluralism and how can it lead to gridlock in policymaking?
2. What is the free-rider problem and how does it limit smaller interest groups?
3. How can interest groups with more resources gain an advantage over groups with limited funding?
C. Iron Triangles and Issue Networks
1. What is an iron triangle and how do the three entities benefit from their relationships?
2. How do issue networks differ from iron triangles in their structure and duration?
D. Exerting Influence
1. What are the main techniques interest groups use to influence government and public opinion?
1. Lobbying Legislators
1. How do lobbyists develop relationships with legislators and what role does credibility play?
2. What information and services do lobbyists provide to members of Congress?
2. Resources
1. How do 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations differ in their ability to lobby and campaign?
2. What resources do large interest groups use to influence policy, including research, campaigns, and media?
3. How do grassroots lobbying and grasstops lobbying differ in their approach and targets?
II. Groups Influencing Policy Outcomes
1. How have interest groups evolved since the Progressive Era and what role do they play in citizen participation?
A. Growth of Interest Groups
1. What economic and political changes in the United States led to the growth of interest groups?
B. Broad Interests of Labor Unions
1. What major labor reforms did the American Federation of Labor help achieve?
2. How did businesses respond to the growth of the labor movement?
C. Social Movement Interests
1. How did the Progressive Era amendments contribute to interest group growth and activity?
2. What major civil rights legislation resulted from the efforts of organizations like the NAACP and Urban League?
3. What were the major achievements of the women's movement, environmental movement, and consumer movement?
D. Groups and Members
1. What are the main categories of interest groups and what types of organizations fall into each?
1. Institutional Groups
1. What are intergovernmental lobbies and what role do they play in the federal system?
2. How do professional associations and think tanks represent institutional interests?
2. Professional Organizations
1. What types of incentives do interest groups offer to encourage membership?
2. What is the purpose of public interest groups and what are examples of their work?
3. Single-Issue and Ideological Groups
1. What are single-issue groups and ideological groups, and what are examples of each?
2. What was the central mission of the American Civil Liberties Union when it was formed?
E. Interest Group Pressure on Political Parties
1. How did the STOP ERA movement and Tea Party movement pull the Republican Party to the right?
2. How have interest groups like the NAACP, NOW, and Sierra Club influenced the Democratic Party?
F. Ethics and Reform
1. What reforms did the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 implement to regulate lobbyists?
2. What is the revolving door and why does it create concerns about lobbyist influence?
3. How does the First Amendment protect interest groups while Congress attempts to regulate their activities?
Key Terms
501(c)(3)
501(c)(4)
bundling
direct lobbying
endorsement
free-rider
grassroots lobbying
grasstops
ideological groups
insider strategies
intergovernmental lobby
iron triangles
issue networks
lobbying
lobbyist
material incentives
Nineteenth Amendment (1920)
outsider strategies
pluralism
professional associations
public interest groups
purposive incentives
revolving door
Seventeenth Amendment (1913)
single-issue groups
Sixteenth Amendment (1913)
solidary incentives
think tanks
trade associations
upper-class bias