US Pressure Groups

?
  • Created by: T Colby
  • Created on: 15-04-17 22:34
What is a presssure group?
An organised interest group with members holding similar beliefs and actively pursue ways to influence government. Unlike political parties seeking to win control of government, pressure groups are interested in influencing those who determine policy
1 of 107
What are the 3 reasons for why pressure groups are important?
They represent the views of ordinary US citizens between elections and allow participation of them. They educate the public about issues not addressed by government. They attempt to shape, monitor and scrutinise the political agenda of government.
2 of 107
What did the Founding Fathers think about pressure groups?
They didn't conceive pressure groups like today but they did think of factions. Some thought they were good for democracy and others the opposite.
3 of 107
What did Founding Father James Madison think of pressure groups?
Thought that factions were a threat to a stable and secure democracy; they would be more likely to oppress than liberate. The government should therefore build in checks against factions, oppression and tyranny.
4 of 107
Why did some Founding Fathers think pressure groups were healthy for democracy?
Some would argue that the government the Founding Fathers created positively encouraged the creation of parties and factional groups.
5 of 107
Why do some people think that 'factions'/pressure groups lack influence?
Some political commentators in the 1950s like C. Wright Mills in 'The Power Elite' argued the government was run by the elite only and that ordinary Americans had no control over how they were governed.
6 of 107
Why do some people think that 'factions'/pressure groups have influence?
In the 1960s Robert Dahl argued in his book 'Who Governs?' that US society was based not on elitism but pluralism. Widely differing groups of ordinary Americans were active and influential.
7 of 107
What are the 4 types of pressure group?
Insider, outsider, sectional and cause.
8 of 107
Give a reason for pressure groups effectively protecting civil rights and liberties.
Effective protection by monitoring and protecting citizens rights.
9 of 107
Give 2 examples of US pressure groups working to effectively protect Americans' civil rights and liberties.
ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) and NRA (National Rifle Association).
10 of 107
What is the problem with arguing that pressure groups effectively protect Americans' civil rights and liberties?
It depends on whether you agree with them or not. E.g. some people agree with the NRA and some oppose it for upholding the II Amendment; "Right to bear arms."
11 of 107
What are the 2 types of pressure group more specific to US politics?
Institutional Pressure Groups and Membership Pressure Groups.
12 of 107
What are Institutional Pressure Groups?
Seek to represent other organisations and groups.
13 of 107
What are Membership Pressure Groups?
Seek to represent individual Americans rather than organisations and groups.
14 of 107
What are the underlings of Institutional Pressure Groups?
Business/Trade Groups, Industrial Labour Unions, Agricultural Unions/Groups, Professional Groups and Intergovernmental Groups (lobby one level of government on behalf of another).
15 of 107
What are the underlings of Membership Pressure Groups?
Single-Issue Groups, Ideological Groups, Group Rights Groups, Public Interest Groups and Think-Tanks.
16 of 107
What do Public Interest Groups do?
Promote issues of general public concern e.g. environmental protection and human rights).
17 of 107
What do Think-Tanks do?
Conduct research, write reports, write articles for publication in newspapers and journals, organise conferences and give evidence to congressional committees).
18 of 107
Give an example of a Institutional Pressure Group under Business/Trade Groups.
US Chamber of Commerce: World's largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses. Fights for free enterprise.
19 of 107
Give an example of an Institutional Pressure Group under Industrial Labour Unions.
National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA): represents more than 19,700 new car and truck dealers on Capitol Hill.
20 of 107
Give an example of an Institutional Pressure Group under Agricultural Unions/Groups.
Associateed Milk Producers Incorporated (AMPI): a union to protect dairy farmers from 6 Midwest states.
21 of 107
Give an example of an Institutional Pressure Group under Professional Groups.
National Education Association (NEA): represents public school teachers, university staff, retired educators and college students preparing to become teachers.
22 of 107
Give an example of an Institutional Pressure Group under Intergovernmental Groups.
National Governors' Association (NGA): lobbying organisation of US governors. It provides public policy liaison between the state governments and the federal government.
23 of 107
Give an example of a Membership Pressure Group under Single-Issue Groups.
National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL): opposes restrictions on abortion and wants to increase access to abortion.
24 of 107
Give an example of a Membership Pressure Group under Ideological Groups.
Christian Coalition of America: pro-family Christian Americans who ensures that government strengthens and preserves rather than threatens families and values. Aims to identify, educate and mobilise Christians for effective political action.
25 of 107
Give an example of a Membership Pressure Group under Group Rights Groups.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP): aims to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.
26 of 107
Give an example of a Membership Pressure Group under Public Interest Groups.
Friends of the Earth: aims to tackle environmental problems and issues.
27 of 107
Give an example of a Membership Pressure Group under Think-Tanks.
Institute for Policy Studies (IPS): a multi-issue, liberal think tank. It is a community of scholars who promote peace, democracy and justice, and the environment in the US and challenge concentrated wealth, corporate influence and military power.
28 of 107
What are the 7 methods used by pressure groups in US politics?
Electioneering, publicity, lobbying, grass roots, Courts and lobbying.
29 of 107
Define electioneering and give it a rating of effectiveness.
Donations and endorsements (1/5).
30 of 107
What is an example of a pressure group using electioneering?
In the 2004 elections: Labour Unions gave funds directly to the Democrats.
31 of 107
Define publicity and give it a rating of effectiveness.
TV adverts, stickers, videos etc (3/5)
32 of 107
What is an example of a pressure group using publicity?
People for the American Way ran a TV campaign preventing nominee Robert Bork from becoming a Justice in SCOTUS.
33 of 107
Define lobbying and give it a rating of effectiveness.
Advice and support to government (2/5)
34 of 107
What is an example of a pressure group lobbying?
The airline Boeing sell to the government and engages in lobbying.
35 of 107
Define grass roots non-violent and give it a rating of effectiveness.
Non-violent (5/5)
36 of 107
What is an example of a pressure group using grass roots non-violent methods.
Roe v. Wade in 1973: every year on the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade abortion decision anti-abortion groups protest outside SCOTUS.
37 of 107
Define grass roots violent and give it a rating of effectiveness.
Violent (1/5)
38 of 107
What is an example of a pressure groups using grass roots violent methods?
Bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Government building in 1995 was linked to militia groups on the extreme right of US politics.
39 of 107
Define Courts and give it a rating of effectiveness.
Bringing and sponsoring cases; amicus curiae (2/5)
40 of 107
What is an example of a pressure group using Courts?
NAACP aided Brown in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954).
41 of 107
Define lobbying (different type) and give it a rating of effectiveness.
Directly influencing decision makers (2/5)
42 of 107
What is an example of a pressure group using lobbying?
'Iron Triangles' often mean pressure groups create strong relationships called iron triangles. These are between the pressure groups, the relevant congressional committee and the relevant govenrnment department or agency.
43 of 107
Define amicus curiae?
Friend of the Court.
44 of 107
What are Political Action Committees (PACs)?
An organisation that raises money privately to influence elections or legislation, particularly at the Federal level.
45 of 107
What was the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act (2007)?
It strengthens public disclosure requirements concerning lobbying activity and funding.
46 of 107
Define 'Iron Triangles'.
Policy-making relationship between congressional committees, the bureaucracy and interest groups.
47 of 107
Give some reasons for the impact that pressure groups can have on Congress.
Direct contact with congressmen and their senior staff and committee members and their staff. Fundraising and donations for/against congressmen standing for election.
48 of 107
Give some reasons for the impact that pressure groups can have on the Executive.
Fundraising and donations for/against Presidents standing for election. Can launch a high profile media campaign to scrutinise presidential actions.
49 of 107
Give some reasons for the impact that pressure groups can have on the Judiciary.
They can lobby SCOTUS to launch a judicial review. Can lobby SCOTUS to overrule a decision of the Executive.
50 of 107
How much impact out of 5 would you say pressure groups have had on gun control?
5/5
51 of 107
How much impact out of 5 would you say pressure groups have had on inequality?
3/5
52 of 107
How much impact out of 5 would you say pressure groups have had on the environment?
3/5
53 of 107
How much impact out of 5 would you say pressure groups have had on women's rights?
3/5
54 of 107
How much impact out of 5 would you say pressure groups have had on abortion rights?
4/5
55 of 107
What roles do pressure groups play in democracy?
Campaigning, representation, scrutiny of government, lobbying of government, providing information, membership/participation and accountability.
56 of 107
Give an example of a pressure group showing campaigning.
Sandy Hook Promise campaigned for the background checks of gun owners after a school shooting.
57 of 107
Give an example of a pressure group showing representation.
NRA representative of US society as only 2% of Americans see gun control as a big policy issue.
58 of 107
Give an example of a pressure group showing scrutiny of government.
E.g. NAACP scrutinising Federal Government prior to Brown holding in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954).
59 of 107
Give an example of a pressure group showing lobbying of government.
'Iron Triangles'.
60 of 107
Give an example of a pressure group providing information.
Sierra Club (pressure group on the environment) providing information for the Clean Air Act.
61 of 107
Give an example of a pressure group showing membership/participation.
NRA has 3 million members.
62 of 107
Give an example of a pressure group being accountable.
1 million people marching in London over Iraq.
63 of 107
Where are the 4 access points of government for pressure groups in the US?
3 branches of government share powers. Government is decentralised and multi-level in a federal system. Committees in Congress have a lot of power to make decisions and can be accessed easily. Weak, decentralised parties cannot enforce party ...
64 of 107
Continue as above:
discipline when it comes to voting.
65 of 107
Where are the 4 access points of government for pressure groups in the UK?
The executive branch largely controls the legislature. Parliament is only made up of one truly effective chamber. PM exercises a great deal of relatively unchecked power. Strong, centralised political parties exist which whip MPs to make decisions.
66 of 107
What is an access point?
A point at which real political decisions are made and this can be influenced.
67 of 107
What is lobbying in the US?
Any attempt by individuals or private interest groups to influence the decisions of government; in its original meaning it referred to efforts to influence the votes of legislators, generally in the lobby outside the legislative chamber.
68 of 107
Give 6 reasons for why pressure groups harm the democratic process.
Prevention of good, unelected, buying political influence, insiders, corruption, minority viewpoints take precedence over public interest, Iron triangles, corporatism, elitism, revolving door syndrome, unlawful and New Right public choice approach.
69 of 107
Define prevention of good.
Pressure groups may sometimes prevent advantageous reforms/laws from coming about.
70 of 107
Give an example of prevention of good.
The NRA opposed Clinton's introduction of the Brady Bill in 1993, providing for stricter background checks on those who buy hand-guns.
71 of 107
Define unelected.
If policies are created as a result of negotiations with pressure groups then it is felt that the power of Congress is reducted as unelected pressure groups have exerted power.
72 of 107
Give an example of unelected.
The 1990 Clean Air Act was brought about in negotiation with pressure groups such as the Sierra Club.
73 of 107
Define buying political influence.
It is felt to be unfair that the pressure groups with the most money can buy political influence or get candidates into office. As Kennedy said, the US has " the finest Congress that money can buy".
74 of 107
Give an example of buying political influence.
In 2007 over $3 billion was spent on political lobbying and buying influence with decision makers.
75 of 107
Define insiders.
Some pressure groups are considered to be insider groups that the government actively seeks out to provide advice and support. Other groups are not consulted.
76 of 107
Give an example of insiders.
Liberal Democrats look to groups such as the AFL-CIO, the NAACP and the Americans for Democratic Action (ADC) for reassurance.
77 of 107
Define corruption.
Seeking to influence decision makers can sometimes result in corruption.
78 of 107
Give an example of corruption.
In January 2006, Jack Abramoff, a former lobbyist was found guilty of three counts of fraud. 2 1/2 years later he was also found guilty of trading gifts, meals and holidays in exchange for political favours. Resulted in the convictions.
79 of 107
Define minority.
Pressure grous tend to put the interests of a small group before the interests of society as a whole.
80 of 107
Give an example of minority viewpoints taking precendence over public interest.
Minority ethnic groups such as the NAACP and National Association for Hispanic Health may only think about the interests of their members and not about their implications on society.
81 of 107
Define Iron triangles.
Pressure groups may encourage the existence of strong iron triangles between a pressure group, government department/agency and a congressional committee. They are very strong and can for undemocratic sub governments.
82 of 107
Give an example of Iron triangles.
The Vietnam Veterans of America might form an alliance with the Veterans' Affairs committees of the House and Senate and the Department of Veterans' Affairs for their own mutual benefit.
83 of 107
Define corporatism.
Some pressure groups are unfairly backed by private businesses and have considerable influence in policy making. Governments often allow private businnesses to exert this influence.
84 of 107
Give an example of corporatism.
Walmart Stores have been influential in sponsoring Republican candidates in elections. In 2004, they gave 78% of their $1.6 million of donations to the Republicans.
85 of 107
Define elitism.
Competition for influence between pressure groups is often very unequal and favours the elites with more wealth, power and influence.
86 of 107
Give an example of elitism.
In the policy area of gun control, the small pressure group Handgun Control Inc. will almost certainly be defeated by the wealth, power and influence of the NRA.
87 of 107
Define revolving door syndrome.
Many pressure groups work through hired lobbyists. Many of these lobbyists are former members of Congress or former congressional staff members. They have come back through a revolving door into politics after an election defeat.
88 of 107
Give an example of revolving door syndrome.
In November 2007, Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi suddenly announced that he was leaving Capitol Hill to let up a new lobbying firm with Senator John Breux, a Democrat from Louisiana.
89 of 107
Define unlawful.
Sometimes pressure groups use unacceptable levels of violence or illegal tactics to pursue their political action.
90 of 107
Give an example of unlawful.
The Bombing of the Federal Government building in Oklahoma City 1995 was linked to militia groups on the extreme right of US politics.
91 of 107
Define New Right public choice approach.
This is the view that the government should be allowed to govern by themselves. They should therefore have little contact with pressure groups that may unduly influence them or hinder their operations.
92 of 107
Define elitism.
Some political commentators in the 1950s like C. Wright Mills in 'The Power Elite' argued that the government was run by the elite (wealthy or powerful individuals) only and that ordinary Americans had no control over how they were governed.
93 of 107
Define pluralism.
In the 1960s Robert Dahl argued in his book 'Who Governs?' claimed that US society was based not on elitism but pluralism. He claimed that widely differing groups of ordinary Americans were active and influential.
94 of 107
Define Political Action Committee (PAC).
Pressure groups that collect money from their members and then give it to the candidates and political parties that support their interests.
95 of 107
How much PAC donations did Donald Trump recieve in his presidential campaign?
$79 million
96 of 107
How about Hillary Clinton?
$204.3 million
97 of 107
What was the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (2002)?
Labour unions and corporations banned from funding issue advertisements directly. Increased individual limits on contributions to individual candidates to $2,300 (2007-2008).
98 of 107
What was the role of PACs in the 2006 mid-term elections?
PAC spending exceeded $1 billion for the first time ever in an election cycle. First election to be run under Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (2002). 400 new PACs by this point.
99 of 107
What was the role of PACs in the 2012 mid-term elections?
No losers in the top 12 of the House and 2 Democrats used the money to fend off unpromising states. Only 1/12 lost in the top of the Senate.
100 of 107
Why didn't Super PACs influence the outcome of the 2016 US Presidential Election?
Didn't play a sufficient role as Clinton lost. Trump used his concept of being an outsider and said outrageous things to gain free media coverage. Also PACs for Hillary or Republican candidates for nomination didn't target Trump.
101 of 107
Give examples of pressure group activity in the EU.
Information, support and advice - EU encourages interest groups to flourish with over 900 listed in the European Commission's Directory. E.g. European Round Table of Industrialists.
102 of 107
Give examples of pressure group activity in Russia.
Russia tends to favour elitism and has sought to collaborate with favoured groups and reduced the others to irrelevance.
103 of 107
Give examples of pressure group activity in China.
Lack of fundamental rights in the political system not conducise for pressure group activity - The Party controls all and groups serve the interests of the party, not the other way around. Some big interest groups are controlled by the party.
104 of 107
Give examples of pressure group activity in New Zealand and Australia.
Electioneering - Feminists in Austrialia and New Zealand created a political pressure group called the Women's Electoral Lobby (WEL). In Australia WEL began in 1972, and in New Zealand it began in 1975.
105 of 107
Give examples of pressure groups having been involved in the 14th Amendment.
NAACP in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954).
106 of 107
How did US gun safety group Evolve campaign for gun safety laws?
Showed children fighting with dildos to promote safety arguing parents wouldn't let children play with them, so why keep guns in open spaces (2014).
107 of 107

Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

What are the 3 reasons for why pressure groups are important?

Back

They represent the views of ordinary US citizens between elections and allow participation of them. They educate the public about issues not addressed by government. They attempt to shape, monitor and scrutinise the political agenda of government.

Card 3

Front

What did the Founding Fathers think about pressure groups?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What did Founding Father James Madison think of pressure groups?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Why did some Founding Fathers think pressure groups were healthy for democracy?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
View more cards

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Government & Politics resources:

See all Government & Politics resources »See all US Pressure Groups resources »