Starter: How much money is spent lobbying the U.S. government each year?

1.How accurate was your prediction?

2.Surprised?

3.What adjective would you use to describe the amount of money spent on lobbying?

4.Is all this lobbying legal?

5.Who makes the rules about the legality of lobbying?

6.Who benefits from this lobbying?

7.Who doesn't benefit from this lobbying?

8.Some lobbyists work for groups like the Red Cross, the Sierra Club, or the National Education Association. Others work for weapon manufacturers, golfers associations, or tobacco companies. Overall, do you think that lobbyists have a positive impact on US politics?

9.What big story does the data tell?

10.Why do you think spending on lobbying has doubled in less than 20 years?

11.What is the most important consequence of all this money spent on lobbying?

12.How specifically does lobbying affect elections in the US?

13.What do lobbyists actually do?

14.If you were to become a lobbyist, what group or company would you want to lobby for?

15.Imagine that lobbying and lobbyists were outlawed. How would the US political system most change because of this?

16.Is this data good or bad news?

17.Why do these groups and businesses spend all this money to lobby the government?

18.What group spent the most money on lobbying in 2016 and how much did they spend?

19.What sector of industry spent the most on lobbying in 2016?

Word of the Day: public sector/private sector
  • Define it
  • Provide an example
  • Think about members of your family; do they have private sector or public sector jobs?
  • Which sector do Republicans/Democrats think should be most prevalent?
  • How might interest groups bridge the gap between the public and private sectors?

Interest Group Techniques

Interest groups ultimately try to...
  1. gain access to policymakers
  2. support sympathetic policymakers
  3. influence public policy
The primary way that interest groups gain access to policymakers is through political contributions.  They then try to influence them through lobbying.  We will take a look at those here!

Do Super PACs Threaten Democracy?

Read through the campaign finance vocabulary.
In 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United v. F.E.C. that political spending by corporations and labor unions is a form of protected speech under the first amendment.  This decision has sparked great debate over the appropriate application of the First Amendment and the inherent fairness of unlimited money injected into political campaigns.  This activity requires you to consider the pros and cons of the Citizen United decision.  You will use sources like the majority and dissenting opinions of the U.S. Supreme Court, relevant articles and video clips to build your argument for the open forum.  The class will be divided into two large teams, pro and con, to prepare for and then debate the following sides:

Side A [Pro]:  Citizen United protects our First Amendment right of free speech

Side B [Con]:  Citizens United threatens democracy.
Each person will be assigned to one side of the argument.  Your personal feelings about this topic are irrelevant for the purpose of this activity!!!!! 
  1.   Preparation (30-45 minutes) – The class will be divided into both large pro or con teams, and subgroups within that.  Each small group will brainstorm as many arguments as possible to support its position.  The group will then choose a leader who will argue the group’s position in the formal debate.

  2.   Opening Statements (3-4 minutes per team) – Each group presents its side and supporting arguments.

  3.   Rebuttal (open to the whole class) – The debate is then opened up to all participants with the following ground rules:
                   -No person may speak twice until everyone has spoken once.
                   -Sides will alternate comments (if pro person speaks a con person must go next).
                   -The speaker will choose the next person.

At the end of class, everybody will receive a grade based on the quality of her/his participation in the open forum.
A+   Demonstrates superior knowledge of assigned side of the issue, as well as understanding of the other side; uses numerous specific details, examples and evidence from the relevant sources; very effectively applies outside information and insight to the discussion; shows outstanding analytical skills; exhibits very high degree of focus on the task at hand.
A-    Demonstrates very good knowledge of assigned side of the issue; uses a number details, specific examples and evidence from relevant sources; effectively applies outside information and insight to the discussion; shows very good analytical skills; exhibits a high degree of focus on the task at hand.
B-    Demonstrates knowledge of assigned side of the issue; uses some details and specific examples and evidence from the article as well as outside information; applies outside information and insight to the discussion; shows good analytical skills; exhibits good degree of focus on the task at hand.
C-    Demonstrates general knowledge of assigned issue; uses relatively few details and specific examples; applies little outside information and insight to the discussion; shows fair analytical skills; somewhat unfocused on the task at hand.                         
D     Little knowledge of content demonstrated; unprepared; very little participation.
F     Did not participate
Recommended Sources:          

Super PAC Cartoon Analysis

•Describe what’s going on in the political cartoon (Who?  What?  When?  Where?).
•Identify any symbols (ex: an elephant to represent the Republican Party) portrayed in the cartoon and analyze what they represent.
•What is the artist’s message in the cartoon?  What do you think?
•Explain what this cartoon tells us about special interest money in political campaigns after the Citizens United decision.

Closer: How is democracy doing?

  • Make a claim here!
  • Support your claim with TWO pieces of accurate and relevant information.
  • Use reasoning to explain why your evidence supports your claim.
  • Respond to an opposing or alternative perspective.

Quiz Friday: Political Parties and Interest Groups

Journal Review #3 due next Thursday

Directions Here: Make sure you relate it to political parties, interest groups, or the mass media (which we'll start next class)

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