Lobbying and Interest Groups - AP US Government

The correct answer is the revolving door. The iron triangle refers to the people who influence the creation of legislation. Gerrymandering involved drawing borders for electoral districts. Pork barrel and logrolling are types of legislative practices that involve trading favors to get the best outcome for one’s constituents.

There are indeed two main types of lobbyists: those who are regularly paid employees of a particular interest groups and those who are hired on a temporary basis by smaller interest groups or less prominent political figures. Lobbyists most often seek to influence members of Congress, because these politicians, in their roles as legislators, hold the most sway over governmental laws and enacted policies. In keeping with this tendency, lobbyists overwhelmingly tend to approach governmental figures who have already expressed opinions in line with their interest group’s goals– these individuals are the easiest and therefore most beneficial to win over to a group’s side. As per the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, an interest group must register ALL lobbyists in its employ with the Secretary of the Senate and must also report all of each lobbyist’s earnings.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) is currently ranked as the nation’s most dominant lobby. The NRA enjoys such great influence due to its robust team of lobbyists, armed with ample funds, powerful allies (including government members and celebrities), and the support of a slew of weapons and ammunition manufacturing companies. The group’s prestige is further elevated by its lengthy roster of public supporters, many of whom consider the Second Amendment and its strict defense to be vital to the exercise of their citizenship.

While educational interests are indeed deemed important by many average Americans and their governmental representatives, education groups have so far failed to successfully scale the narrow and fiercely competitive ladder of interest group prominence. Environmental groups such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Sierra Club enjoy widespread public support and are zealously promoted by both legislators and favorable legal rulings. Labor groups like the AFL-CIO and business groups sponsored by Google, Microsoft, and the Chamber of Commerce are all immensely influential as well. Additionally, as significant are equality groups, including the NAACP and NOW, which advocate for equal rights and representation for minorities in both the legislative and legal spheres.

Labor unions organize and lobby corporations and government to help workers get better wages, safety conditions, benefits, etc... They are often the primary group working to protect worker rights.

Grassroots has been defined as the practice of organizing people at the base level to try and influence public officials.

Lobbyists are often former congress people or people with expertise in a specific policy area. Congress people must by policy generalists, and thus may rely on lobbyists for more specific expertise on policy.