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Chapter 6: Interest Groups

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Flash Cards

Practice Quiz

Critical Thinking and Learning Exercises

  1. Using the following website, http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/list.php?order=A , identify the top five donors and the amount of money donated by each donor.
  2. Why do you think these donors chose these particular congresspersons to donate their money?  
  3. Name the five government agencies that produce the highest number of lobbyists in what is called the revolving door effect. Visit the following website to check your answer: http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/index.php.
  4. Which interest groups give the most money to politicians? Use the following website to check your answer: http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/mems.php?party=R&cycle=2012.

Links to further Resources

How It Happens: Lobbyists

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzXfIyQ45vk

Minnesota Public Television cartoonist David Gillette explains the important role played by lobbyists. Although the focus here is on the state legislature, the principles apply equally to the Congress. Despite the negative image that most Americans have of lobbyists, it is important to remember that they also have an important role to play in terms of providing expertise.

Interest Groups in the United States

http://usgovinfo.about.com/blorgs.htm

This website provides a long list of active interest groups in the United States, organized by issue area. While there are a large number of groups linked here, this is still only a fraction of the myriad of interest groups that exist in our pluralist democracy.

Lobbying Disclosure: Congressional Oversight of Lobbying

http://lobbyingdisclosure.house.gov/

Federal law requires lobbyists to file quarterly reports with Congress. Information from those reports, as well as other information relating to interest group lobbying of Congress, can be found on this website.

The Sunlight Foundation

http://sunlightfoundation.com/

Founded in 2006, the Sunlight Foundation is dedicated to increasing the transparency and accountability of government. In what ways can public disclosures of lobbyist activities improve the performance and accountability of a democratic government?

Open Secrets: The Center for Responsive Politics

http://www.opensecrets.org/about/

The Center for Responsive Politics is an independent, nonpartisan organization tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy. Consider how lobbying through the use of campaign contributions relates to the core principles articulated in Chapter 1, and how the values of free expression and political equality conflict with one another in this issue area. Why is it difficult to find a proper balance between free expression and political equality in campaign finance? And what role does transparency play in the promotion of democratic values?

The Tea Party, Occupy Wall Street, and Social Movements

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/1018/Occupy-Wall-Street-movement-intrigues-confounds-the-tea-party

This article from the Christian Science Monitor explores the similarities and differences between the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street movements. Why is civil disobedience and protest the preferred strategy of these groups? What forces have stimulated the political action of these groups?