an "individual or pressure group that sets out to influence government action."
"a committee organized to raise funds to elect or defeat candidates for political office in order to promote certain policies or legislation, often in support of special interests."
a group of "people who try to influence government to support the industry or particular concerns that they belong to or support."
"lobby." The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide, edited by Helicon, 2018. Credo Reference, https://sc4.idm.oclc.org/login?qurl=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/heliconhe/lobby/0?institutionId=5065.
"political action committee (PAC)." Chambers Dictionary of World History, edited by Bruce Lenman, and Hilary Marsden, Chambers Harrap, 3rd edition, 2005. Credo Reference, https://sc4.idm.oclc.org/login?qurl=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/chambdictwh/political_action_committee_pac/0?institutionId=5065.
"special interest group." Dictionary of Politics and Government, edited by P. H. Collin, A&C Black, 3rd edition, 2004. Credo Reference, https://sc4.idm.oclc.org/login?qurl=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/acbgovtpol/special_interest_group/0?institutionId=5065.
Below are just a few examples of interest groups, PAC's, and lobbies. OpenSecret.org's 527s: Advocacy Group Spending can help you locate more.
Extremist Mindsets and Strategies by
Presenting an analysis of modern-day extremism, this book explores how any group of people or participants in a movement--political, ideological, racial, ethnonational, religious, or issue-driven--can adopt extremist mindsets if they believe their existence or interests are threatened. Looking beyond "fringe" resistance groups already labeled as terrorists or subversives, the author examines conventional organizations--political parties, religious groups, corporations, interest groups, nation-states, police, and the military--that deploy extremist strategies to further their agendas. Dynamics of mutual causation process between dominant and resistant extremist groups are explored, including how resistant extremisms surface in response to oppressive and abusive measures advanced by the dominant groups to further their interests and maintain supremacy through systemic injustices, as happens in slavery, caste systems, patriarchy, colonialism, autocracy, exploitive capitalism, and discrimination against minorities.
Interest Groups and Lobbying: Pursuing Political Interests in America by
Interest groups and lobbyists play a crucial role in how public policy is made in the United States' representative democracy. By helping citizens organize and pursue their self-interests in the political arena, interest groups and lobbyists are an alternative but very effective form of representation. However, the adversarial nature of interest groups often fuels voter discomfort with the political process. Interest Groups and Lobbying is an accessible and comprehensive text that examines the crux of this conflict. Pulling together two areas of interest group research (why advocacy organizations form and how they are able to gain influence in Washington) DC. Thomas T. Holyoke shows students the inner workings of interest groups in the United States. Using case studies to clarify and expand on the issues surrounding lobbying and group action in federal, state, and local government, Holyoke explores how we can use interest groups and their adversarial impulse to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
Lobbying: The Art of Political Persuasion by
Fully revised, updated and expanded second edition, Lobbying is a global industry which thrives wherever democracy is established. This book straddles the globe, from the USA to Japan. It covers the Westminster and Scottish Parliaments, and the Welsh, Northern Ireland and London Assemblies. It examines the lobbying scenes in the USA and Brussels. Finally, the book also deals with Asia, the Arabian Gulf and the Middle East. This book examines and explains all aspects of lobbying in an expert yet accessible manner. Areas covered include:- The historical background to lobbying, and the ethical and regulatory frameworks- The mechanics of lobbying, and the techniques employed by lobbyists around the world- The various types of lobbying and public affairs campaigns- Advice on how to break into lobbying- The procedure for appointing a public affairs consultancy- How to use third party advocates in support of a campaign. The author is an acknowledged expert in his field, and this book represents a distillation of his decades of experience. There are also 'top tips' from some of the most senior lobbyists in the world, as well as contributions from elected politicians.
Lobbying and Policymaking: The Public Pursuit of Private Interests by
Spurred by the disconnect between what was being taught in the classroom and actual practice, Godwin, Ainsworth, and Godwin set out to answer the question, "Was political science missing some key aspects of the interactions between lobbyists and policy makers?" Built on interviews with over 100 lobbyists, these authors show that much of the research on organized interests overlooks the lobbying of regulatory agencies even though it accounts for almost half of all lobbying even though bureaucratic agencies have considerable leeway in the how they choose to implement law. This groundbreaking new book argues that lobbying activity is not mainly a struggle among competing interests over highly collective goods; rather, it's the public provision of private goods. And more to the point, this shift in understanding influences our perception of the strengths and weaknesses of American democracy. Through a series of highly readable case studies, the authors employ both neopluralist and exchange perspectives to explore the lobbying activity that occurs in the later stages of the policymaking process which are typically less partisan, involve little conflict, and receive scant public attention. Lobbying and Policymaking sheds new light on lobbying influence on the policy process, and is an ideal way to expose students to cutting-edge research in an accessible, fascinating package.
Political Control of America's Courts by
This volume explores the many ways in which politics shapes the allegedly nonpartisan judicial system in America, ranging from how judges are selected to the bench to how they rule when they get there. Each title in the Contemporary Debates series examines the veracity of controversial claims or beliefs surrounding a major political/cultural issue in the United States. Each book gives readers a clear and unbiased understanding of current high-interest issues by informing them about falsehoods, half-truths, and misconceptions-and confirming the factual validity of other assertions-that have gained traction in America's cultural and political discourse. This volume in the series provides a deeply researched and even-handed account of the relationship between America's judicial branch-which is supposed to view law through a nonpartisan lens-and the sometimes poisonous partisanship that is such a notorious factor in the nation's other two branches of government. Is political combat over judicial nominations worse than ever before? What impact is the politicization of the courts having on public faith in the legitimacy of the courts and our wider political system? Was former Supreme Court justice Sandra Day right when she asserted that "judicial independence is a bedrock principle of our court system, and we are losing it"? This work will provide insights into all these questions and more.
Super PACs by
The passage of Citizens United by the Supreme Court in 2010 sparked a renewed debate about campaign spending by large political action committees, or Super PACs. Its ruling said that it is okay for corporations and labor unions to spend as much as they want in advertising and other methods to convince people to vote for or against a candidate. This book provides a wide range of opinions on the issue. Includes primary and secondary sources from a variety of perspectives; eyewitnesses, scientific journals, government officials, and many others.
