POLS 2312 1st Edition Lecture 16 Outline of Last Lecture I Primary Election A Runoff Primary B Open Primary C Closed Primary II General Elections A Write In Candidates III Special Elections IV Independents V Administration of Elections VI Types of Voting VII Absentee Voting VIII Interest Groups A Bundling Outline of Current Lecture I Interest Groups Influencing Outcomes A Direct B Indirect C Positive D Negative II Effects on Interest Group Power A Party Competition and Decentralization B Law C Media III Constituent Influence IV Lobbyists Current Lecture l A There are three direct influencing outcomes 1 Filing suit in a court of law 2 Serving on state boards and commissions 3 Holding demonstrations B There are four indirect influencing outcomes 1 Electioneering 2 Making Campaign Contributions 3 Educating the Public 4 Socializing with Public Officials 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 C Some positive aspects about interest groups are that they increase political representation political participation and mobilization education of their members share info and data and they reduce cost to taxpayers D Some negative aspects about interest groups are that they narrow interests they have secret communications with officials and they corrupt or intimidate public officials ll A Some effects on interest group power is party competition and the decentralization of the executive branch power Texas has a plural fragmented executive no strong central executive authority and the governor has little power to remove appointed officials B Texas law requires that interest groups report information about lobbyists lobbyist employers and expenses associated with trying to influence government decisions C The Media is essential to the survival of democracy The public has the right to know what its public servants are doing They re an un neutral linkage institution and promote open meetings open records and recorded votes They are the enemy of corruption and they have a conflict of interest and other unethical conduct lll Constituent Influence is when elected officials can t consistently ignore constituency When there s no constituency there s a consensus on the issue and interest groups become stronger lV A lobbyist is an individual employed by the interest group who tries to influence governmental decisions on behalf of that group
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