How Do Interest Groups Lobby the President and How Successful Are They - Research Paper Example

THE SUCCESS OF INTEREST GROUPS IN LOBBYING FOR THE PRESIDENT Scope of the Study: How do interest groups lobby the president and how successful are they? Many studies have been done about various interest groups by different scholars. However, in my study, I will be particularly looking at interest groups in relations to presidents. This will cover but not limited to: the role these groups play in the transition period; that is, if they usually have any role in the election of the president. I will also be looking at how these groups usually influence the policy making process and for whose benefit. And how this policy influence goes on to affect the legacy of a president. Introduction In the simplest of definition, interest groups have been described as organizations that are private in nature whose aim to shape public policy. These could either be through individual membership or membership through organizations. The main aim is usually perceived to be the protection of a specific or a particular interest. This has generally made interest groups seem as self-interested and narrow; without any regard for public good. Also, it is commonly believed that an interest group as an organization has goals or policies that are similar and that their objective as an organization is to use their influence on the political process to give them the edge they need to achieve these goals. All these debates over lobbying and interest groups have brought confusion over the importance of interest groups and whether they are really important in a democracy or they simply exist to serve self -centered interest. To understand the truth about interest groups and their influence on the presidents an in depth study of the same is required. Interest group influence on presidential politics To explain the importance of interest groups in politics as well as the public policy making process, a number of theories has been developed and adopted by scholars. Theories such as elite, pluralism, disturbance among others have all been developed. In the early days of Republican form of governance, the unity, as well as the power balance of the nation was very much threatened by this interest groups, but federalist edict allowed the flourishing of these so called interest groups with the argument that a counterbalance would come from other groups that were equally self-centered therefore containing the effect of outside influence.1 The outcome of this was the spread of Republican form of government as opposed to a pure democracy a scenario that the anti-federalists totally disagreed with because in their view, diversity of interests in country that is very large in size was only recipe for precluding of the unity of the country. According to the anti-federalist, allowing groups that are composed of opposite interests and are also dissimilar in nature, was like creating a house that is basically divided against its own –self. Because at best only a state would have interests that are uniform in nature because a bigger group means deeper interests that are very divergent and reconciling such interests would be an upper hill task. However despite their argument and opposition, the federalists had their way, and the result was the birth of all sort of factions some of which are today called interest groups. The civil society, small association’s participation, interest groups have all been credited to this system. This in turn has ensured separation of power, and created checks and balances, political freedom, activism and a society that is pluralistic in nature. Interests groups and presidential transition One of the main way interest groups reach the president is during the transition period, however this start early during the campaigns, so that during the transition, as the change is affected, their interests are also taken care of in one way or another. According to Heath, Brown in his book lobbying the New President: Interests in Transition President Obama during his 2008 campaigns, received support extensive support from professional groups as well as the labor unions and subsequently these two groups went ahead to have an active role during the transition period than any other group2. Groups tend to maximize on this window give the history that they had had with the previous administration.2 If there is perception that the previous administration had marginalized them so to speak they use this period to try and get their way ahead. For example groups that can be said to be allies with the incoming president will tend to use this transition period to call in favors that has been carried from the campaign period. Transition Outcome During the transition period, interest groups embrace different tactics which are meant to ensure that the transition period work in the favor of having their agenda accomplished. To ensure that things go their way during the transition period, friendly or allied groups have used tactics such seeking a position in the transition team. In 1992, the National Education Association was actively involved Bill Clinton’s campaign; in return, it had the chance of nominating someone to serve on the transition committee and also someone to serve as the Education Secretary. In 2000, the president of the American Forest and Paper Association lobbied for its president’s appointment to the transition committee on Energy. The roles that this transition committee play in terms of putting the transition structure in place, offering advice to the president as well as to various nominees to on policies related to that particular docket, in addition to giving advice on organizational and personal appointment is an important one that can have a huge impact on any administration and the president.3 This was also evident in the Obama transition where one group was able to have a great influence on the circle that planned the transition. The end result was that most of these people also ended up on the appointment list to various positions. As if this was not enough, they went ahead to influence draft policy recommendation that brought about a change a shift in ideological approach of how transition was to take place at the Justice department. Interest Group and Personnel Appointment Outcomes The Obama Administration and the influence of the Center for American Progress at the Justice Department is just a classical example of how interest groups can use their influence to ensure that their own is appointed to position of making policy.4 CAP used its influence at the transition team to ensure that most of its members or nominees were appointed to positions of influence within the Justice Department. While these appointment does not mean an automatic gain to the interest group, because this does not mean that the new employees from interest will out rightly work for the interest of the interest groups that lobbied for their appointment3 In his book White House Studies Compendium. Robert Watson illustrates example of the interest group and the transition of presidents and how they eventually end up affecting the appointment can the 2000-2001 Interior Department transition. Though this was an exceptional case and should not be taken to the true representation of all public official, because most of the public official and diligent and hardworking, this particular case is an example of how interest groups can influence the presidency. The Bush/Cheney team got massive support from the National Mining Association, and they eventually won the closely contested elections, but that was not the end of the story, they had to return favor for the support they received from these groups5. In that regard, Thomas Sansonetti, who is a lobbyist from the National Mining Association and a dozen other from various groups with interest in the land issues were chosen to sit on the interest department transition team. At end the transition period, came the appointment time and a number of these people obtained appointments in the new administration, this set the stage for a national policy shift. The administration led by President Bush brought in a new vision at the Interior Department most influenced by new secretary and his associates, all who had background from the interest groups shaped how the new land policy that the administration adopted. This new policies that were adopted were formulated and promoted by people who used the transition period to get to the president and the administration with the sole agenda of ensuring that more land was made available for the purpose of energy exploration. This gave the oil companies the much needed go ahead to continue with their exploration activities. Interest groups and the Policy making process Policy making process is another way that the interest groups use to get to the president. Interest groups get involved in lobbying for the specific area that affects it, some however get involved in many policy areas.. This cannot however be taken to apply across board because research has shown that almost two thirds of the interest groups are involved in more than two issues. This is basically dictated by the nature of lobbying they are involved in. While this can be described as focus as far as policy is concerned, it would be ironical for example for an interest group like the Air Traffic control Association whose core mandate is to ensure that the Air control as a profession is well taken care of, to be involved with communities or government agencies whose mandate does not include air transport. This kind of approach has often been viewed by some as a survival tactic aimed at ensuring a cutting edge when it comes to competition but this cannot be the overall goal because this kind of approach has proven to be effective because such interest groups full time participate in their area of concern unlike the others who cut across the board and are usually viewed as occasional participants. This is not usually the case as sometimes the policy domain of some groups are blurred due to prevailing situations that require the immediate attention of that particular group. With a boundary shift comes a shift in the conception interest of such group. There is a direct relationship between the mission and ideology of a group, its membership, and the resources it has, together with the range of interest of that particular group. These are the factors that end up determining the interest group strategy which an interest group adopts which in turn determines the kind of influence such a group will have on the political arena. This kind of approach ensures that the interest groups influence the kind of policies that are formulated to govern a certain are of the government. The interest groups try to influence the president through the policy making process, however to achieve this goal, they have to go through Congress, since Congress is the body that represents the people, interest groups influence public opinion. If they are able to influence the public opinion to reflect their interest, then in turn they can in turn get to pass the congress to formulate policies that represent the opinion of the people because they are the people’s representative. Through this, they will have gotten to the president since congress will only pass policies that are aligned to the interest of the people who elected them, the same people that they represent. Also interest can influence the president through congress directly without influencing the public opinion, congress has the power to pass or reject policies, therefore, all the interest groups have to do is get to the congressmen, directly, if they can influence them to share in their views and interests, then they can manage to make ensure that the policies that the president brings forth are geared towards a particular interest. Conclusion That interest groups have an influence on the president is a fact that cannot be disputed as the various examples listed here shows and proves. The question is how and the extent to which they influence him. As discussed, it is clear that they use various means that are well calculated and timed so that the required results are achieved. This starts right from the campaign period, through the transition to the appointments. For example, CAP, ensured that their tactic included early involvement, they had an agenda for the American society, and as their name suggest, they had a progression agenda for the country so they put in a place a tactic to implement it. First, they started by supporting President Obama, they not only supplied campaign fund, but also campaign ideas. According to Heath Brown, the author of lobbying the New President, Interests in Transition, all campaign advertisement done by president Obama, were influence by CAP, they developed the advertisement content3. As if that was not enough, they went ahead to influence policy recommendations that were later adopted into various policies at the department of Justice. They ensured this through infiltrating the transition committee of the department of Justice. With an outer –circle team of CAP insiders, the next agenda was to influence the ideological approach that was taken by president towards policy change at the Department of Justice. With all everything in place it was now time to influence the implantation of their agenda by being in control of Department of Justice, a very key department in any administration, and their agenda of influencing the legislative, economic and appointment agenda was in right in place. It is therefore safe to conclude that in deed interest groups use various tactics to get to the president, this include transition process control and policy making influence, but the most effective way, is the transition process control, because if they can manage to call in favors during this period, they get the president and the policies that the administration is likely to implement during the transition period and throughout the administration period. Bibliography Anthony, Nownes. Interest Groups in American Politics: Pressure and Power. London, UK: Routledge, 2013. Clive, Thomas. Research Guide to U.S. and International Interest Groups 2004. Heath, Brown. Lobbying the New President: Interests in Transition 2013 Kenneth, Goldstein. Interest Groups, Lobbying, and Participation in America 1999. Nelson, Polsby and Aaron, Wildavsky. Presidential Elections: Strategies and Structures of American Politics. Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2008. Robert, Watson. White House Studies Compendium. Hauppauge, New York: Nova Publishers, 2007. Read More