HY 357 Lecture Notes - Lecture 41: Continuing Legal Education, Trade Association, Life Insurance
6 Jun 2018
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Functions of Interest Groups
The two principal functions of interest groups are representation and education. For
example, the National Telephone Cooperative Association (NTCA), which serves
telecommunications cooperatives and companies in small towns and rural areas,
provides its members "aggressive representation on Capitol Hill." It also conducts
educational seminars, publishes a newsletter that tracks legislative and regulatory
trends, and shares expertise on marketing strategies and new technology.
Representation
The representation function stems from the reason interest groups are created in the
first place: Collective action is the most effective way of influencing policymaking and
bringing issues to a large audience. Interest groups also serve as a watchdog,
monitoring the actions of Congress, the courts, and the administration in the interest of
their constituents. This work can include keeping track of the voting record of members
of Congress and rating them on how well or how poorly they do on a particular issue.
Membership itself is important to success. More than 2.5 million people belong to the
NRA, and 550,000 belong to the Sierra Club. Such numbers give the organizations
immediate political clout as well as the resources to maintain a large staff, hire lobbyists,
and conduct extensive public relations efforts.
Interest groups are concerned with maintaining and expanding their membership.
Beyond political victories, they offer special member services that may include group
health and life insurance, discounts on travel, and other similar programs. Direct
mail,which is targeted to people likely to support the interest group based on level of
income and education and their other affiliations, is a way of soliciting funds and
building membership rolls. Such direct-mail campaigns can also put an issue before the
public and help shape the political agenda of the country. All organizations appreciate,
however, that some people benefit directly from what the organization does but will
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