Campaigns, interest groups, and direct democracy
Winning office takes money and organisation, and citizens can also influence policy outside elections.
Campaigns and money
Campaigns raise money to pay for advertising, staff, and travel. Political action committees (PACs) collect contributions and give them to candidates within legal limits. After Citizens United v. FEC (2010), corporations and unions may spend unlimited amounts on independent political expenditures, leading to super PACs that cannot coordinate directly with candidates.
Interest groups
Interest groups are organisations that try to influence policy, such as business associations, labour unions, and advocacy groups. They lobby officials, provide information, file lawsuits, and mobilise members. The free-rider problem, people enjoying a group's benefits without joining, makes organising hard; groups offer selective benefits like magazines or discounts to members only.
Direct democracy
Although national government is representative, many states allow direct democracy. An initiative lets citizens propose laws by gathering signatures. A referendum lets voters approve or reject a law or measure. A recall lets voters remove an official before their term ends.
Flashcard
A group that raises and gives money to candidates
Check your understanding
Citizens in a state collect enough signatures to put a proposed law directly on the ballot. This is: