Ch. 9, Interest Groups (Magruder's American Government)

Front 1

Public policy

Back 1

All of the many goals that a government pursues in all of the many areas of human affairs in which it is involved

Front 2

Public affairs

Back 2

Events and issues that concern the public at large.

Front 3

Trade association

Back 3

An interest group composed of companies in the same business or industry (the same "trade") that lobbies for policies that will benefit members of the group.

Front 4

Labor union

Back 4

An organization of workers that tries to improve working conditions, wages, and benefits for its members

Front 5

Public-interest group

Back 5

group that seeks to institute certain public policies of benefit to all or most people in this country, whether or not they belong to or support that organization

Front 6

Propaganda

Back 6

Ideas spread to influence public opinion for or against a cause.

Front 7

Single-interest group

Back 7

Political action committees that concentrate their efforts exclusively on one issue.

Front 8

Lobbying

Back 8

A strategy by which organized interests seek to influence the passage of legislation by exerting direct pressure on members of the legislature.

Front 9

Grass roots

Back 9

Political activity that originates locally, or arises from ground level.

Front 10

functions of interest groups

Back 10

(1) raise awareness and stimulate interest in public affairs, (2) represent members based on shared attitudes instead of geography, (3) provide specialized information and expertise to government, (4) serve as vehicles for political participation, (5) provide additional checks and balances in the political process, and (6) compete with one another in the public arena

Front 11

criticisms of interest groups

Back 11

(1) some have disproportionate influence, (2) sometimes it's hard to tell just who or how many people the group represents, (3) many groups do not, in fact, represent the interests if the people for whom they claim to speak, (4) some use shady tactics that undermine our political system

Front 12

the two best-known general business organizations

Back 12

the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the Chamber of Commerce of the United States

Front 13

examples of trade associations

Back 13

the American Trucking Association, the Association of American Railroads, the American Bankers Association, and the National Restaurant Association

Front 14

the AFL-CIO

Back 14

a big group representing the interests of organized labor, including some 100 separate unions

Front 15

examples of professional organizations

Back 15

the AMA (American Medical Association), the ABA (American Bar Association, the NEA (the National Education Association)

Front 16

examples of groups that promote or oppose causes

Back 16

the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union), the Sierra Club, the National Wildlife Federation, the Audubon Society, the National Right-to-Life Committee, Planned Parenthood, and the NRA (National Rifle Association)

Front 17

examples of religious organizations

Back 17

the National Council of Churches, the Anti-Defamation League, the National Catholic Welfare Council, and the Christian Coalition

Front 18

examples of organizations that promote the welfare of certain groups

Back 18

VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars), American Legion, AARP (American Association of Retired Persons), NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), and the National Urban League

Front 19

examples of public interest groups

Back 19

Common Cause and Public Citizen

Front 20

electioneering

Back 20

In order to accomplish their goals, interest groups need to get and keep people in office who support their causes. This is called _____.

Front 21

litigation

Back 21

If interest groups cannot get what they want from Congress or the state legislatures, they may sue. Filing lawsuits is engaging in ______.

Front 22

amicus curia (or "friend of the court") briefs

Back 22

written arguments submitted to the courts in support of one side of a lawsuit

Front 23

class action lawsuits

Back 23

Groups file this kind of lawsuit in order to enable a group of similar plaintiffs to combine their grievances into a single suit. A famous example is BROWN V. THE BD. OF ED. OF TOPEKA (1954).

Front 24

free rider problem

Back 24

It seems logical that large interest groups would be more effective than small ones, but the opposite is true because groups with large memberships tend to have this problem. Since there are so many members, individuals tend to take advantage of the benefits but let somebody else do the work.

Front 25

the "revolving door"

Back 25

slang term used to describe the practice of government officials quitting their jobs in government in order to become lobbyists who, in turn, use their inside knowledge and connections to benefit the corporations and groups for which they work by lobbying government