Standards:

Strand: Civics and Government

Content Standard III: Students understand the ideals, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship and understand the content and history of the founding documents of the United States with particular emphasis on the United States and New Mexico constitutions and how governments function at local, state, tribal, and national levels. Students will:

9-12 Benchmark 3-A: compare and analyze the structure, power and purpose of government at the local, state, tribal and national levels as set forth in their respective constitutions or governance documents:

#14 III-D.1 Describe and analyze the influence of the non-elected (e.g., staff, lobbyists, PAC’s, interest groups, Citizens United).

WICOR: Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization and Reading

Interest groups.

Introduction.

Definition

Interest groups link citizens to government.

Differences between interest groups and political parties.

Types of interest groups.

The explosion of Interest Groups.

Business groups.

Labor groups.

Agriculture groups.

Professional associations.

Environmental groups.

Public interest groups.

Equality interests

Single issue groups.

Interest groups goals and strategies.

Fundamental goals.

Lobbying.

Contributing money to candidates.

Shaping public opinion.

Factors that contribute to the success of interest groups.

Size.

Intensity.

Financial Resources.

Interest groups and American democracy.

The power elite theory.

The hyperpluralist theory.

Essential Question

How does public opinion influence government, and what do interest groups do to ensure that their policy positions have the most impact?

Summary

Section 1 Interest Group Organization

Americans organize in interest groups to pressure all levels of government. These groups spend much time and money in organized efforts to influence officeholders to support laws that the groups feel will be beneficial. Interest groups are usually organized around only a few issues or specific problems, and they draw financial resources and expertise from their many members. People join interest groups to protect and promote their cause. Interest groups take many forms. They may be business related, labor related, or agriculturally related. Others may form to promote their professions, the environment, or the public interest. All foreign agents of interest groups must register with the U.S. government.

Section 2 Affecting Public Policy

Most interest groups try to influence government policy by lobbying, or making direct contact with, lawmakers or other government leaders. Lobbyists provide Congress with facts and data about the policy they want implemented. They also provide information in congressional testimony and might help draft bills. Interest groups also employ television, the Internet, radio, magazine, and newspaper advertising to create public support for their causes. They also may resort to court action or seek a constitutional amendment to achieve their goals.

Interest groups set up political action committees (PACs) to collect money and provide financial support for a political candidate. They use their money to directly influence election outcomes. A PAC must register with the government six months before an election, have at least 50 contributors, and give to at least five candidates in a federal election. PACs must follow strict accounting rules. The Federal Election Commission issues regulations and advisory opinions that control PAC activities. Affiliated PACs are tied to corporations, labor unions, trade groups, or health organizations. Independent, or nonconnected, PACs are not connected to an existing interest group. So-called 527 organizations focus on advocating an issue rather than a candidate and thus avoid regulation.

Section 4 Measuring Public Opinion

Between elections, officials want to know what the public is thinking. Over the years, the methods and technology to access and tabulate public opinion have changed. Interest groups provide elected officials with opinions, but they represent attitudes of a vocal minority. Newspapers, magazines, television, and radio reflect the interests of the public, but they often give a distorted view of public opinion. Many people write letters or e-mails to let the president and lawmakers know their views. Unscientific straw polls help officials gauge public opinion from respondents who voluntarily answer the questions. And many officials keep track of opinions about current issues expressed on political Web sites and blogs.

Scientific polling helps people in politics measure public opinion. Scientific polling involves three steps: selecting a representative sample of the group to be questioned, presenting a carefully nonbiased wording of questions to the sample, and interpreting the results.

Section 3 Shaping Public Opinion

Three factors characterize the nature of public opinion—it is diverse, it must be expressed and communicated to government, and enough people must hold a particular opinion to make government officials listen to them. In a process called political socialization, individuals learn their political beliefs and attitudes from their family, school, friends, coworkers, and the mass media. Government leaders, especially the president, also have a tremendous influence on people's opinions.

Political efficacy and citizen participation are vital in a democracy. The political culture sets the general boundaries within which citizens develop and express their opinions. The political culture also colors how Americans see the world. One's political ideology—liberal versus conservative, for example—provides the framework for looking at government and public policy.