Chapter 9: Interest Groups Section 3: Interest Groups at Work Lecture Notes

Key Words:

propaganda; single-interest group; lobbying; grass roots

1. Public opinion is the most significant long-term force in American politics.

2. Interest groups supply the public with information, try to portray a positive image, and promote a particular public policy.

3. Propaganda
 

a. Interest groups use propaganda - techniques of persuasion - to influence public opinion.

b. Mass media encourage the use of propaganda.

1. Interest groups try to win influence in political parties by urging their members to be active in party organizations and by raising money for political campaigns, mostly through PACs.

2. In general, interest groups are primarily interested in policy issues, not elections.

1. The work of the Lobbyist
 
a. Lobbyists try to influence legislation through such methods as presenting expert testimony, using the mass media, and mounting grass-roots campaigns.

b. They also work to shape the ways that legislation, once passed, is interpreted and enforced.
 

2. Lobby Regulations
 
a. Though most lobbying is aboveboard, abuses such as false testimony and bribery still exist.

b. Congress and the Texas Legislature both try to reduce unethical practices by requiring lobbyists to register, but this law if difficult to enforce.