Interest groups wield significant influence in American politics through various strategies. They support candidates, form PACs, and engage in lobbying to shape policy outcomes. Their tactics include endorsements, campaign contributions, and mobilizing voters to sway elections.

Beyond elections, interest groups employ diverse methods to influence legislation and policy. They target key decision-makers, build coalitions, and use agenda-setting techniques. Interest groups also extend their reach to the executive and judicial branches, shaping regulations and legal precedents.

Interest Group Influence on Elections and Legislation

Interest groups in elections

• Support candidates aligning with their goals and interests through:
  • Endorsements publicly announce support for a candidate
  • Campaign contributions donate money directly to a candidate's campaign (maximum of $5,000 per election cycle for federal candidates)
  • Mobilizing voters encourage members and supporters to vote for the endorsed candidate (phone banking, door-to-door canvassing)
• Form Political Action Committees (PACs) to raise and spend money in elections
  • Collect contributions from individuals (up to $5,000 per year) and other PACs
  • Contribute funds to candidate campaigns (up to $5,000 per election) and political parties (up to $15,000 per year)
  • Coordinate independent expenditures, such as advertisements supporting or opposing candidates, without directly collaborating with the campaign (unlimited spending allowed)

Strategies for policy influence

• Lobbying attempts to influence legislators' decisions on policy through:
  • Direct lobbying face-to-face meetings with legislators or their staff to advocate for specific policies (Planned Parenthood lobbying for reproductive rights)
  • Grassroots lobbying mobilizes public support to pressure legislators through letter-writing campaigns, protests, or other means (National Rifle Association rallying members to oppose gun control measures)
  • Providing information and expertise to lawmakers to shape their understanding of issues (American Medical Association educating Congress on healthcare policy)
• Targeting key decision-makers
  • Focuses efforts on legislators who are undecided, serve on relevant committees, or hold leadership positions
  • Cultivates relationships with influential policymakers to gain access and build trust (inviting legislators to speak at conferences or events)
• Coalition building partners with other interest groups to increase influence and resources (environmental groups working together to push for climate change legislation)
• Agenda setting raises awareness of issues and shapes public discourse to make their priorities more likely to be addressed by policymakers (AARP putting elder care on the national agenda)
  • Issue framing: strategically presenting issues in a way that aligns with their goals and resonates with the public

Policy networks and influence

• Iron triangles: close relationships between interest groups, congressional committees, and government agencies in specific policy areas
• Policy networks: broader, more fluid networks of actors involved in shaping policy, including interest groups, think tanks, and government officials
• Revolving door: the movement of individuals between positions in government and private sector jobs, often in related industries
• Pluralism: the idea that power is distributed among various interest groups, leading to competition and negotiation in the policymaking process
• Astroturfing: creating the appearance of widespread grassroots support for a policy or position, often through artificial means

Interest Group Influence on the Executive and Judicial Branches

Post-legislation influence tactics

• Executive branch influence
  1. Regulatory process provides input and feedback during the rule-making process to shape how laws are implemented (oil companies lobbying EPA on pollution standards)
  2. Appointments advocates for or against nominees to key positions in executive agencies (labor unions supporting pro-worker Secretary of Labor)
  3. Litigation challenges agency actions or regulations in court (environmental groups suing to stop pipeline construction)
• Judicial branch influence
  • Amicus curiae briefs submit legal arguments to courts in support of a particular position in a case (ACLU filing brief in support of same-sex marriage)
  • Sponsoring test cases strategically brings lawsuits to challenge laws or policies in hopes of setting favorable legal precedents (Brown v. Board of Education sponsored by NAACP)
  • Judicial nominations supports or opposes the appointment of judges who align with their interests (Federalist Society backing conservative Supreme Court nominees)