Government Chapter 9 Flashcards
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interest group (pressure groups, organized interests, special interests)
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collection of people who share certain views on public matters and work to SHAPE PUBLIC POLICY to THEIR benefit
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public policy
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includes all of the goals that a government pursues in the many areas of human affairs in which it is involved--seat belts, speed limits, zoning flood control, old-age pensions, and use military force
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What level of government do interest groups operate on?
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They operate on every level of government
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pluralistic
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made up of several groups with different ethnic, religious, political backgrounds
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elite
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select, privileged group in a society
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3 ways parties and interest groups differ
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1. parties nominate candidates for public office; interest groups do not 2. parties are interested in winning elections and controlling the government; interest groups influence the policies of the government 3. political parties are concerned with the whole range of public affairs; interest groups almost always concentrate on issues that affect its members
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foreboding
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an expectation of trouble
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James Madison on interest groups
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1. interest groups form factions that will be used to shape public policy for their own selfish needs 2. believed that eliminating freedom would eliminate factions
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public affairs
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issues or events that concern the public AT LARGE
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valuable functions of interest groups
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1. provide ways to participate in public life 2. inform and raise interest in public matters 3. promote interest important to group members
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negative accounts of interest groups
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1. focus on special (narrow) interest of group 2. often represent small segment of population 3. occasionally use unethical tactics
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Jack Abramoff
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convicted of bribery and other offenses in return for legislative favors; called the Abramoff Scandal
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overt
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open, observable
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dole
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to give or distribute
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What are most interest groups formed on the basis of?
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the economy
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The most active among the interest groups formed on the economy are...
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groups representing business, labor, agriculture, and certain professions
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creditor
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one to whom money is owed
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protective tariff
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import duty, imposed to give advantage to domestic industries
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United States Brewers Association
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1. oldest interest group at work in national politics 2. Congress first levied a tax on beer
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What are the two best known business interest groups?
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1. National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)--represents big businesses 2. Chamber of Commerce of the United States--represents small businesses
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trade associations
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segments of business community that have their own interest groups
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What is a flaw of business groups?
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they argue among themselves and do not always present a solid front
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labor union
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organization of workers who share the same type of job or who work in the same industry
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blue-collar workers
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one who does manual or industrial work--ie: a miner, mechanic
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PUBLIC* interest groups
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organization that works for the best interests of the overall community, rather than the narrower interests of one segment
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Factors contributing to the Growth of Interest Groups
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1. Response to growth in government at all levels since New Deal; more government = more interests and groups to act on them 2. Responding to a more complex society 3. Emergence of social movements to protect the "minority" rights 4. New technologies making information, organization, and communication easier 5. Imitation as the most sincere form of flattery
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lobbying
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the process by which organized interest attempt to affect the decisions and actions of public officials
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Lobbyists
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1. those people who try to persuade public officials to do those things that interest groups want them to do--mainly THE LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE BRANCH; NO DIRECT LOBBYIN UNDER LITIGATION IN JUDICIAL 2. representatives of a wide variety of interest groups
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amicus curiae brief
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friend of the court
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grass-root pressures
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pressures from members of an interest group or from the people at large to bear on public officials
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fringe group
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a group holding less popular, often extreme, views
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PAC (political action committees)
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independent organizations which provide fund-raising and distribution arms of interest groups
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General Criteria of PAC--campaign distributions
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1. those sympathetic to policy and issue position 2. influential decision-makers 3. incumbents 4. "message" money
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Bundling
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like-minded groups joining together to direct their contributions in the same manner, multiplying impact of their money
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electioneering
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purpose is to elect "sympathetic" candidates to office
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What is the main focus of lobbying?
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legislative branch--focus is on proposed legislation (laws, public policy)
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Interest groups are a _____________ between the public and government
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"linkage"
