Section 7                      

Parties and Interest Groups

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Readings: Chapters 9 and 10.

The two most important groups of non-governmental actors in American politics are political interest groups and political parties. Their influence extends to almost every region of the United States and level of government. Although they are currently both very unpopular, they are both vital in representing segments of American society. I personally think it unfortunate that institutions charged with connecting citizens to government are popularly despised and terribly misunderstood. I don't expect you to love them after working through this section,  (I certainly don't) but at least you will better understand them. Zen.

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Interest Groups

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Your Name

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7.1 How do the authors define "political interest group?"      

7.2 Which of the following interest group activities are [C]ollective benefits and which are [S]elective" benefits?    

advocating clean air

defending civil rights

magazine subscription

protecting right to bear arms

providing life insurance

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7.3 What is a "free rider?" How does it relate to collective and selective benefits?

7.4 Most interest groups pursue...    

7.5 Interest groups exhibit a bias toward the interests of:      

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7.6 What is a Political Action Committee (PAC)? How are they related to interest groups?

7.7 What resources have allowed the NRA (National Rifle Association) to be so successful in preventing gun control legislation?      

7.8 What do PACs usually get in exchange for their campaign contributions?  You may choose more than one answer.    

 buy votes

 access to legislators

 conversion

activation

 reinforcement

Political Parties

American political parties are composed of symbols, people, organizations and laws. Each of these components varies by level of government, the state county and city in which it is located and the time period in which we observe it. Some cities have non-partisan elections in which candidates may not identify themselves with a party. Sometimes parties are not much more than an attitude. Zen.

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7.9  One of the most potent roles played by political parties is as an organizing symbol. Which images, people, values and ideas do you associate with the two major political parties?

Pay attention to the text's brief history of parties in the United States. Parties and the coalitions behind them are constantly (albeit slowly) changing. We may be witnessing a change in parties comparable to that of the New Deal era! Some academics believe the two major parties are realigning. Others believe that the american public is dealigning as fewer and fewer people identify with either party. Zen.

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7.10  One of my under-graduates professors told me that the purpose of a university education was to make people comfortable about working and thinking in the "gray areas" between extremes. I often warn students that if there is a simple solution, the problem couldn't have been too important. The moral of both of these observations is that life and politics are complicated. People who ascribe to simple solutions do not understand the problem. Politicians who propose simple solutions are trying to play people for suckers and are just as likely to also not understand the problem.

     With this pocketbook philosophy in mind it's time to delve into the gray area. Explain in 2-4 sentences why each of the following statements are partially accurate and partially inaccurate portrayals of parties in the United States.  Zen.  

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My cousin John Doe is a Republican even though he isn't registered to vote.

The Democratic party is Pro-Choice, while the Republican party is Pro-Life

The Democrats in Congress pushed the Crime Bill past the Republicans.

President Clinton is the leader of the Democratic Party.

Questions or Comments? send e-mail to Dr. Werner at drblw@aol.com

Zen.