POLS 101 1st Edition Lecture 21Outline of Last Lecture I. Interest GroupsII. PACSIII. Interest Groups -LOBBYINGOutline of Current Lecture I. Interest Groups- ElectioneeringCurrent LectureI. ElectioneeringA. If interest groups give money to candidate they do that through PACSB. Parallel campaigns by interest groups- can give as much money but cannot give money directly to candidate, they parallel campaign runs normal negative advertisement.C. Interest Groups can recruit candidates- an interest group could give encouragement to push a candidate into a race, offer a campaign school for candidates as incentive for individual to enter race, help train candidates to run better elections. Sometimes they even work with getting discounts for financial aspects of candidates campaign. Interest group may also publish “voting history” from a state senate or congress of an individuals particular votes measuring how much the candidate voted in accordance to the interest groups focus in hopes that voters will be influenced. D. Interest groups DO NOT nominate candidates but do participate in elections. II. Why do we have so many interest groups?A. America has many more interest groups than other countries with democracies.B. Why so many= Diversity of citizens and their interests, individualism- we are a political culture based on john locke that emphasizes individual rights, citizens in the US has strong levels of efficacy, decentralization of American government (our system does not concentrate political authority in one place, levels, branches)C. Political Scientists do not feel that interest group financial contribution is bribary because they tend to give campaign money who they already agree with. Just because money is spent, it is not necessary that a government official will change theway they vote.These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.D. Interest groups are most effective linkage mechanism for citizens to participate in government. Responding to decisions that the interest group makes, the only way is to leave.E. 1995- Congress put a restriction amount of money lobbyists could spend and could give money as a gift to a legislator. Could spend small amount of money on tshirts and trinkets. LOOP HOLE- Interest group may go on a conference on an island, somewhere expensive, it is legal if elected official is board member of interest group for group to pay for elected official to attend lavish conferenceF. 2007- In the senate, those individuals who were leaving office, were restricted for two years until they could lobby in the senate. G. Constituents do not like the idea that their elected official is accepting
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