Political Science: An Introduction Fourteenth Edition Chapter 9 Interest Groups Roskin | Cord | Medeiros | Jones Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1 Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. A series of U.S. Supreme Court decisions boosted interest groups to new—some said dangerous—heights. Dubbed "super-PACs," the new groups allowed super rich anonymous donors to pour unlimited funds into political campaigns. Billionaires contributed millions to candidates and groups that supported their financial and ideological interests through these super-PACs. Campaign contributions and spending soared, but the overall net effect on election outcomes was unclear. 2 Learning Objectives (1 of 2) 9.1 Define interest groups and distinguish them from parties. 9.2 Explain the relationship between interest groups and democracy. 9.3 List, with examples, the factors that make interest groups effective. Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Learning Objectives (2 of 2) 9.4 Explain the several strategies interest groups use. 9.5 Explain and give examples of how interest groups may become too strong. Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Ubiquity of Interest Groups (1 of 3) 9.1 Define interest groups and distinguish them from parties. Interest groups provide a critical link between citizens and government. In general an individual has little influence over policy outcomes and government. When individuals form a group, they can have a great deal of influence. Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 5 The Ubiquity of Interest Groups (2 of 3) 9.1 Define interest groups and distinguish them from parties. Because everyone wants something from government, interest groups exist in all types of societies. Even dictatorships have interest groups, although they may behave in ways that are very different from how they behave in open societies. Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 6 The Ubiquity of Interest Groups (3 of 3) 9.1 Define interest groups and distinguish them from parties. When we talk about interest groups, we generally mean any group that is trying to influence government. This is an important point, because Americans frequently use the term "special interest" to refer to groups they do not like that are trying to influence government, but in practice we are all special interests. Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 7 Interest Groups and Political Parties (1 of 3) Interest groups differ from political parties in several ways. Interest groups seek to influence policy but do not seek to control government, which means that most .