INTEREST GROUPS

1. THIS MORNING:
1. The weakness of the American party system
2. Nominations, primary, elections, and democracy
3. Interest group politics



2. SOME EXPLANATIONS OF THE PARTY SYSTEM:
1. General-welfare liberalism and tradition
2. Federalism and separation of powers
3. Strength of interest groups
4. Candidate-centered campaigns
5. Television gives candidates independent "access" to voters.
6. Recent developments:
1. Nominations
2. Money and politics

1. NOMINATIONS AND PRIMARIES:
1. Conventions and caucuses used to be the primary method for selecting presidential candidates.
1. Now primaries dominate the process
2. Nominations at presidential level
1. State primaries (e.g., New Hampshire, Delaware, California) and delegate selection
2. Caucuses (e.g., Iowa)
3. Super-delegates
4. National conventions
3. Nominations at the state level: conventions and primaries
4. The Effects:
1. Fragmentation which leads to loss of accountability which leads to apathy and less capacity



2. CAMPAIGN FINANCES:
1. Some background
1. Watergate and reform
2. What the laws did or tried to do
1. Federal Election Commission (FEC)
2. Disclosure
3. Limits on spending (see below)
4. Public financing: goes only to presidential candidates for nomination and regular (general) election expenditures.
1. Candidates agree to spending limits
2. Efforts to extend it to congressional elections have failed.
5. Political action committees: organizations that solicit contributions from members and others and distributes to candidates
2. Recent developments
1. Buckley v. Valeo: the "money talks decision"
2. "Soft money": contributions ostensibly made to parties for purposes such as "get-out-the-vote" drives, but in actuality support candidates at all levels.
1. The recent controversy surrounding Clinton's re-election fund raising activities largely involve soft money issues.
3. Independent committees and generic (issue advocacy) ads
3. Results: reforms have inadvertently encouraged or at least not prevented
1. Flow of money into campaigns
2. Weakening of parties, increasing strength of interest groups.



3. INTEREST GROUP POLITICS:
1. To understand American government, especially the "middle levels" one needs to appreciate the central role interest groups play in the political process.
2. Interest groups compared to political parties:
1. Do not try to run government as a whole, only to protect the interests of their members.
2. Private, not public, bodies and hence not accountable in the same way parties are.
3. Do not run their own candidates for office.
3. The American way of politics: interest group conflict
1. The belief in the legitimacy of groups: ours is a nation that places great value on interest groups.
2. Main "actors" or players are organized groups.
3. Usually, several sets of groups on each side of an issue.
4. Groups struggle in many arenas for favorable outcomes, decisions.
5. Groups participate in policy development and especially implementation.
6. Tools: contact and access and favors (lobbying), public relations, "knowledge," election contributions
7. On paper the "system" remain relatively stable, "balanced," open, representative.

1. NEXT TIME:
1. More on interest groups including film clips that illustrate their method of operation and influence
2. Reading:
1. Patterson, We the People: Chapter 9
1. Read for general understanding but especially pages 286 to the end.
2. What are "an iron triangle"? a PAC? Grass roots lobbying?
3. What are the pros can cons of the "group system"?
2. Be sure to start Debt and Deficits, which I will discuss next week. I think is very helpful, even for those who might not agree with everything the authors say.

Go to American Political System page

Go to notes page.

Copyright © 1997 H. T. Reynolds