(1) Functions, Types of Pressure groups, Elitism or Pluralism

(1) Functions, Types of Pressure groups, Elitism or Pluralism

1. Pluralism

   • A theory which suggests that political power is distributed amongst a number of groups representing widely different interests with society.

2. Elitism

   • A theory which suggests that political power in a society rests with a small group who gain power through wealth, family status or intellectual superiority

3. Country founded on elitism

   • Founding fathers no pressure groups pressure in the meeting in 1789 Philadelphia
   • Bush's have all been in power 1650's
   • James Madison – pluralism a ‘threat to a stable & secure democracy’
   • C.Wright Mills, ‘The Power Elite’ (1956) – US governed by a small elite
   • Perots - Billion finance campaign
   • Obama - Middle class not disadvantages
   • Political Dynasty
     • Kennedys, Bush, Clinton, Rosevelts
   • Oil and gas loby - elite group huge influence
   • Madison (Founding Father) preferred a Republican government hedged by ‘checks and balances’

4. Us is a country founded on pluralism

   • Candidates are selected - Primaries, Delegates.
     • Elected role - accountable
     • Obama - small donations from many people
   • Pressure group existance
   • David Truman, ‘The Governmental Process’ (1951) – politics was all about how different groups interacted with each other
   • Robert Dahl, ‘Who Governs?’ – power based on pluralism, e.g. political nominations, urban redevelopment & public education; democracy was all about compromise

5. functions of pressure groups

   • Increase representation - different groups in USA
     • Link between politican and public. Channel of easy access in which to voice opinons. A senator will be pulled in a number of directions but a pressure group will represent individual/group/strong held views in all three branches of govt
   • Increase political participation
     • Increase opportunities for ordinary citizens to participate in deicison making process between elections. Pressure groups increase political participation beyond elections and allow for greater political participation. They focus on specific policy areas about which citizens have strong feelings
   • Public education - e.g. environment and gun control
     • They attempt to educate public opinion - bringing important issues to the public's attention, as well as likely effects of decisions made by gov.
   • Agenda building – set legislation in motion & bring interests together, e.g. business & politicians
     • Interest groups attempt to influence agendas of political parties legislators and bureaucrats to give priority to their members interest. They may bring together different parts of society e.g. business groups, religious groups, state govt. Good example piracy of music goods. Result: China promised to close down factories illegally duplicating American goods
   • Government Programme monitoring
     • Scrutinse and hold govt to account in the implementation of policies
       • McCain-feingold Act (BCRA 2002) - Campaign Finance Institute commissioned a set of studies by academic scholars on impact of campaings.
     • Pressure groups such as NRA will bring cases to state and fed court as result of monitoring of polices

6. Types of pressure group

   • Business
     • American Business Conference, National Automobile Dealers Association
   • Agriculture
     • National Farmers Union
   • Unions
     • United Auto Workers
   • Professional
     • American Medical Association
   • Single Issue
     • NRA
   • Ideological
     • American Conservative Union
   • Group rights
     • NAACP
   • Public interest
     • Friends of the Earth
   • Institutional and membership pressure group
     • Institutional - Seek to represent other organisations and groups - American Business Conference, the National Association of Manufacturers
     • Membership - seek to represent individual Americans rather than organisation and groups - MADD, NOW, NAACP, friends of earth
   • What is a Think Tank?
     • Are a particuarly important type of public interest group.
     • Think tanks conduct research, write reports, write articles for publications in newspapers, journals, books and organsie conferences, give evidence to congressional comittes
     • Ideological slant
       • Liberal
         • Institute for Policy Studies and the Brooking Institution
       • Conservative
         • Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute

7. How Pressure groups operate

   • Electioneering and Endorsements
     • Can raise money through PACs and now Super PACs to endorse candidates.
       • Pac limtied fundrasing, limited spending $20k per election cycle.
       • Super Pac, unlimited fundrasing, unlimited spending – corporation have freedom of speech rights (spend money to speak
   • Lobbying
     • Raise issues with politicians.
       • give ideas to politicans keep them in touch
     • Engage at a Congressional level
     • Significant ideas:
       • ‘Casino’ Jack Abramoff – take political elite out and given them gifts (golf trips scotland), to gain influence
       • ‘Revolving door syndrome’ - politicans leave and become lobbies for companies. Been elected out still have power
   • Publicity
     • PR from lobbying firms trying to influence policy-making
     • NRA via ALEC gun control post-Trayvon Martin.
   • Grassroots campaigns/activities
     • Marches, demonstrations, postal blitzes
     • Key e.g. abortion – pro-life groups protesting outside abortion clinics and trying to influence public perception of issues.

8. Definition

   • a group of people who seek to exert pressure on legislators, public opinion, etc, in order to promote their own ideas or welfare

9. How does a pressure group work in practice

   • Prescriptions drugs provision, especially for senior citizens.
     • The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) has 35 million members over 50. Such a high level of membership cannot be ignored by politicians
     • The Parmaceutical Research and Manufactures of America, representing more than 100 American drug companies, is lobbying hard for legislation that would give the private sector, not the fed govt, the management role in administering any prescription drug programme for senior citizens.
     • Add to these two groups, the United Seniors Association (a conservative grassroots group with about 1.5 million members) and the 13 million members of the AFL-CIO which claims legislation favours drug company profits rather than the budgets of senior citizens. This is huge amout of lobbying going on.
   • The environment, clean air
     • The lobbying from industrial groups such as the Alliance of Automoblie Manufacturers, whose boss Andrew Card was White House Chief of Staff 2001 -2006. And, environmental groups such as Sierra Club and Environmental Defense.