Interest Groups in Politics: A Glossary of Terms

A

527 Organization

A political group organized under section 527 of the IRS.

Amicus Curiae Brief

Literally, a "friend of the court" brief, filed by an individual or organization to present arguments in addition to those presented by the immediate parties to a case.

B

Boycott

A form of pressure or protest – an organized refusal to purchase a product or service.

Bundling

A tactic in which PACs collect contributions from like-minded individuals (each limited by campaign finance laws) and present them to a candidate or political party as a "bundle," thus increasing the PAC's influence.

C

Campaign Assistance

Interest groups have additional strategies to use in campaigns, including recruiting and training candidates, and getting out the vote.

Climate Control

The use of public relations techniques to create favorable public opinion toward an interest group, industry, or corporation.

Collective Action

How groups form and organize to pursue their goals or objectives.

D

Direct Techniques

Interest group activities that involve interaction with government officials to further the group's goals. Examples include lobbying, providing testimony at hearings, and making campaign contributions.

Earmark

A provision in a law that provides a direct benefit to a specific recipient, project, or location, often without having been reviewed on the merits by all of Congress.

E

Economic Interest Groups

Interest groups that represent the main sectors of the economy, such as business, labor, agriculture, and professions.

Environmental Interest Groups

Interest groups that advocate for the protection of the environment. Examples include the Sierra Club and the National Audubon Society.

F

Faction

A term the founders used to refer to political parties and special interests or interest groups.

Foreign Governments

The governments of countries that lobby the U.S. government to promote their interests. Examples include the governments of the largest U.S. trading partners, such as Canada, the European Union, Japan, and Mexico.

Free Rider

An individual who does not join a group representing his or her interests yet receives the benefit of the group's efforts.

G

Grassroots Lobbying

Lobbying that involves stimulating the political participation of the general public to contact their elected officials and express their views on an issue.

I

Ideological Interest Groups

Political organizations that attract members by appealing to their political convictions or principles.

Incentive

Something of value one cannot get without joining an organization.

Independent Expenditures

Spending by individuals, groups, and parties on communications that expressly advocate the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate. The Supreme Court has ruled that independent expenditures cannot be limited.

Indirect Techniques

Strategies employed by interest groups that use third parties to influence government officials. Examples include mobilizing public opinion, generating media coverage, and organizing protests or demonstrations.

Interest Group

A collection of people who share a common interest or attitude and seek to influence government for specific ends.

Issue Advocacy

Unlimited and undisclosed spending by an individual or group on communications that do not use words like "vote for" or "vote against" a specific candidate, but that clearly favor one side of an issue.

Issue Network

Relationships among interest groups, congressional committees and subcommittees, and the government agencies that share a common policy concern.

L

Latent Interests

Public policy interests that are not recognized or addressed by a group at a particular time.

Leadership PAC

A PAC formed by an officeholder that collects contributions from individuals and other PACs and then makes contributions to other candidates and political parties.

Lobbying

Engaging in activities aimed at influencing public officials, especially legislators, and the policies they enact.

Lobbyist

A person who is employed by and acts for an organized interest group or corporation to try to influence policy decisions and positions in the executive and legislative branches.

M

Material Incentives

Money or things valued in monetary terms offered to entice individuals to join an interest group.

N

Nongovernmental Organization (NGO)

A nonprofit association or group operating outside of government that advocates and pursues policy objectives.

O

One-Issue Interest Groups

Interest groups that are narrowly focused because their objectives are for a specific cause. Their members tend to be passionate about the issue.

P

Pluralism

A theory of government that holds that open, multiple, and competing groups can check the asserted power by any one group.

Political Action Committee (PAC)

The political arm of an interest group that is legally entitled to raise funds on a voluntary basis from members, stockholders, or employees to contribute funds to candidates or political parties.

Public Choice

Synonymous with "collective action," it specifically studies how government officials, politicians, and voters respond to positive and negative incentives.

Public Interest Groups

Interest groups that advocate for policies they believe promote the good of all Americans, rather than just the narrow interests of their own members.

Public Interest Lobby

A political organization whose goals will principally benefit nonmembers.

Purposive Incentive

A benefit that comes from serving a cause or principle.

Q

Quid Pro Quo

Something given with the expectation of receiving something in return.

R

Ratings

Many interest groups attempt to influence the overall behavior of legislators through giving them ratings based on their voting records on issues important to the group.

S

"Shotgun Approach"

A tactic used by an interest group that tries to mobilize large numbers of constituents to email, tweet, or phone their legislators or other government officials in support of the group's position.

Social Movement

A widely shared demand for change in some aspect of the social or political order.

Soft Money

Unlimited amounts of money that political parties previously could raise for party-building purposes. Now largely illegal, except for limited contributions to state and local parties for voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts.

Solidary Incentive

The social rewards (sense of pleasure, status, or companionship) that lead people to join political organizations.