CMC Government 106, Fall 2020
Tuesday and Thursday 11AM-12:15 PM Pacific
Office Hours: by appointment
J.J. Pitney
Office: Kravis 232 Telephone: 909/607-4224
E-mail: jpitney@cmc.edu
General
This course examines the role of interest groups in American politics, with particular attention to their influence on public policy. It asks these questions:
- What are interest groups, and how do they form?
- Are there real differences between economic and "public" interest groups?
- How do interest groups try to influence elections?
- By what legal and extralegal means do foreign interests play a part in American politics?
- What strategies and tactics do they use in the "outside" game of public relations and the "inside game" of lobbying?
- Is there a general public interest apart from group interests? If so, do interest groups advance or undercut it?
Classes will include lecture and discussion. Finish the readings before class because our discussions will involve those readings. We shall also talk about breaking news, so you must read a good news source such as Politico, RealClearPolitics or the New York Times.
Blog
Our class blog is right here at http://gov106.blogspot.com. I shall post videos, graphs, news stories, and other material there. We shall use some of this material in class, and you may review the rest at your convenience. You will all receive invitations to post to the blog. (Please let me know if you do not get such an invitation.) I strongly encourage you to use the blog in these ways:
- To post questions or comments about the readings before we discuss them in class;
- To follow up on class discussions with additional comments or questions.
- To post relevant news items or videos.
The following will make up your course grade:
- Three 4-page essays: 20% each
- One research paper: 25%
- Class participation, weekly writeups: 15%
Details
- The papers will develop your research and writing skills, and test your comprehension of class materials In grading your papers, I will take account of the quality of your writing, applying the principles of Strunk and White’s Elements of Style. If you object to this approach, do not take this course, or anything else that I teach.
- In addition to the required readings (below), I may also give you emails and web links covering current events and basic factual information.
- Because constructive disagreement sharpens thinking, deepens understanding, and reveals novel insights, I encourage and expect it. All viewpoints are welcome here, and no ideas are immune from scrutiny and debate. Your opinions will not affect your grade, as long as you can back up what you say.
- As a courtesy to your fellow students, please log in on time.
- Check due dates. Plan your schedule accordingly. Do not plan on extensions.
- Plagiarism is not a victimless offense, because it hurts fellow students. Please study our Statement of Academic Integrity, which reads in part: "The faculty of Claremont McKenna College is firmly committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity. Each faculty member has the responsibility to report cases of academic dishonesty to the Academic Standards Committee, which has the duty of dealing with cases of alleged academic dishonesty.."
- Your experience in this class is important to me. If you have set up accommodations with Disability Services at CMC, please tell me about your approved accommodations so we can discuss your needs in this course. You can start by forwarding me your accommodation letter. If you have not yet established accommodations through Disability Services, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability (e.g., mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health), please get in touch with Assistant Dean for Disability Services and Academic Success, Kari Rood, at accessibilityservices@cmc.edu to ask questions or begin the process. More details here: https://www.cmc.edu/dean-of-students/student-resources.
Required Books
- Jeffrey Berry and Clyde Wilcox, The Interest Group Society, 6th ed. (New York; Routledge, 2018).
- Allan J. Cigler, Burdett A. Loomis, and Anthony Nownes, eds, Interest Group Politics, 10th ed. (Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield, 2020). MAKE SURE TO GET THE 10TH EDITION. EARLIER EDITIONS HAVE DIFFERENT CONTENT.
- Lee Drutman, The Business of America Is Lobbying (New York: Oxford, 2015).
- Henrik M. Schatzinger and Steven E. Martin, Game Changers: How Dark Money and Super PACS are Transforming U.S. Campaigns (Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield, 2020).
August 25, 27: Introduction
"The canal trustees quickly secured the expert services of Abraham Lincoln to lobby against the Havens' proposal for an act. This action tells us that lawyer Lincoln still had great influence in the House of Representatives, even though he had not sat there since 1842. And it is the first known proof that he ever acted as a lobbyist. " -- Wayne C. Temple, "A. Lincoln, Lobbyist," Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association 21 (Summer 2000): 35-43.
Is everyone part of a special interest? What is the proper role of organized interests in a democracy?
- Cigler, ch. 1, 9, 10.
- Berry, ch. 1.
"The more government takes the place of associations, the more will individuals lose the idea of forming associations and need the government to come to their help" -- Alexis deTocqueville
We hear of "movements," "interest groups" and "factions." Do these terms mean different things, or are they variations of the same thing?
- Berry, ch. 2-3.
- Cigler, ch. 2-3.
FIRST ESSAY ASSIGNED SEPT 3, DUE SEPT 18.
READ STRUNK AND WHITE FIRST.
READ STRUNK AND WHITE FIRST.
Sept 8, 10: Parties, Campaigns, and Interest Groups I
"This fundraising avenue is almost completely shut off for outsiders. It’s not that I didn’t try. Several times I was told by third house leaders I met with that I presented an `interesting campaign,' but because the organization `had a piece of legislation before my opponent’s committee the next day,' they could not be seen supporting my run with a donation." -- Pete Peterson
Why do interest groups make contributions and independent expenditures in campaigns?
- Berry, ch. 4-5
- Schatzinger, ch. 1-2
- Cigler, ch. 7.
Sept 15, 17: Parties, Campaigns, and Interest Groups II
"Day 1, I'd sign an executive order that says if you want to contract with the federal government — I can't tell you that you can't spend or donate, but you have to disclose every single dollar that you are either spending or donating to influence our elections. Think about it. The federal government contracts with dang near every company in the country. Adding that sunshine and transparency will make a difference." -- Steve Bullock
How have dark money groups and super PACs changed the relationship between interest groups and campaign finance?
"Day 1, I'd sign an executive order that says if you want to contract with the federal government — I can't tell you that you can't spend or donate, but you have to disclose every single dollar that you are either spending or donating to influence our elections. Think about it. The federal government contracts with dang near every company in the country. Adding that sunshine and transparency will make a difference." -- Steve Bullock
How have dark money groups and super PACs changed the relationship between interest groups and campaign finance?
- Schatzinger, ch. 3-6.
"Unlike the neighborhood bakery that wants customers to add their names and addresses to a petition for expanded outdoor seating, tech companies typically already know who and where their users are. It means startups can mobilize — or brobilize — thousands of people via a simple email or push notification to blast targeted messages to their elected officials, often with just a few clicks. It’s like astroturfing for the always-on, location-aware era." -- Caroline O'Donovan, Buzzfeed
Who are lobbyists? How do they work? What is the difference between traditional "inside" lobbying and "outside" lobbying?
- Berry, ch. 6-8
- Cigler, 8, 11.
"Just got a federal issue advocacy text from... Joann Fabrics." -- Christiana Dominguez `01
How did corporations and trade associations become players? When do they seek public and private goods?
- Drutman, ch. 1-5
SECOND ESSAY ASSIGNED OCT 1, DUE OCT 16.
"[Tom] Daschle, a `policy adviser' to a range of corporate interests and a close confidant of many top Democrats, has become one of the most famous unregistered lobbyists in the city. In fact, his activities as a consigliere and go-between for business leaders and politicians, including President Obama, are so well known that among ethics watchdogs, the technicality in the law that allows lobbyists to evade registration has become known as the `Daschle Loophole.'" -- Lee Fang, The Nation
What is the relationship between business interests and their lobbyists?
- Drutman, ch. 6-9.
"What did Manafort do for his money? All his clients, notwithstanding their abysmal human rights records, received foreign aid from the U.S. government. They wanted more. They hired Manafort to help them get more. Having more, they could in the future afford (among other things) to pay Manafort more to get the U.S. government to give them still more." -- Andrew Ferguson
Who influences foreign and military policy? What is the role of foreign governments and interests? What economic and ethnic groups have a stake in foreign affairs?
- Ken Silverstein, "Their Men in Washington," Harper's, June 2007. On Sakai
- Ben Freeman, "Foreign Funding of Think Tanks in America." Center for International Policy, Jan 2020, https://static.wixstatic.com/ugd/3ba8a1_4f06e99f35d4485b801f8dbfe33b6a3f.pdf.
- Jesse Mesner-Hage et al., "The Foreign Consultant" (video documentary), Washington Post, July 30, 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/national/the-spectacular-rise-and-fall-of-paul-manafort/2018/07/29/1ca3f246-8b0f-11e8-9d59-dccc2c0cabcf_video.html
- James M. McCormick, "Ethnic Interest Groups and American Foreign Policy," in Interest Group Politics, 9th ed., ed. Allan J. Cigler, Burdett A. Loomis, and Anthony J. Nownes (Washington: Sage, 2016). On Sakai.
"Since their own services have to do with the functioning of the Government, a strike of public employees manifests nothing less than an intent on their part to prevent or obstruct the operations of Government until their demands are satisfied. Such action, looking toward the paralysis of Government by those who have sworn to support it, is unthinkable and intolerable." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt
How do government employees try to influence the policies of elected officials? And how American governments lobby one another?
- Daniel DiSalvo, "The Future of Public-Employee Unions," National Affairs, Spring 2020, https://www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/the-future-of-public-employee-unions
- Marcia L, McCormick, "Our Uneasiness with Police Unions: Power and Voice for the Powerful?" Saint Louis University Public Law Review 35 (2015), https://scholarship.law.slu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1135&context=faculty
- Cigler, ch. 6.
Oct 27, 29: Civil Rights and Protest
"Get in good trouble." -- John Lewis
How is protest a political resource? How did the movement for African American civil rights serve as a template for other civil rights movements?
- Cigler, ch. 4
- Garrett Chase, "The Early History of the Black Lives Matter Movement, and the Implications Thereof," Nevada Law Journal 18 (2018), https://scholars.law.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1757&context=nlj
- John J. Pitney, Jr., "Autism and Accountability," paper presented at the 2020 annual meeting of the American Political Science Association. On Sakai.
- Linda Villarosa, "Pollution Is Killing Black Americans. This Community Fought Back," New York Times Magazine, July 28, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/28/magazine/pollution-philadelphia-black-americans.html
- Marie Berry and Erica Chenoweth, "Who Made the Women's March?" in The Resistance: The Dawn of the Anti-Trump Opposition Movement, ed. David S. Meyer and Sidney Tarrow (New York: Oxford University Press, 2018). On Sakai.
Nov 10, 12: Nonprofits, Religion, and Ideology
"It is easy or give or spend money; but to do this to the right person, to the right extent, at the right time, with the right motive, and in the right way, that is not for every one, nor is it easy; wherefore goodness is both rare and laudable and noble." -- Aristotle
How do philanthropy, religion, and political ideology drive organized political activity?
- Cigler, ch. 5.
- Steven M. Teles, The Rise of the Conservative Legal Movement (Princeton; Princeton University Press, 2008), ch. 5 on The Federalist Society (on Sakai).
RESEARCH PAPERS DUE NOV 13
Nov 17, 19: Reform
Can we reform interest group politics while preserving constitutional rights?
"Money, like water, will always find an outlet." -- Justices Stevens and O'Connor in McConnell v. FEC
- Cigler, ch. 13, 15
- Drutman, ch. 10.
- Schatzinger, ch. 7
THIRD ESSAY ASSIGNED NOV 17, DUE DEC 4
Nov 24: Reconsiderations
"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed. I feel at this moment more anxiety for the safety of my country than ever before, even in the midst of war. God grant that my suspicions may prove groundless." -- Not Abraham Lincoln.
In light of the political and legal upheavals of recent years, how will interest group politics evolve?
- Berry, ch. 10.
- Cigler, ch. 16
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