146 PART Two • The PolITIcs of AmeRIcAn DemocRAcy
Labor Movement
The economic and political
expression of working
class interests.
Service Sector
The sector of the economy
that provides services—
such as health care,
banking, and education—
in contrast to the sector
that produces goods.TyPes of InTeResT GRouPs
Thousands of groups exist to influence government. Among the major types of interest
groups are those that represent the main sectors of the economy. In addition, a number
of environmental groups and public-interest organizations have been formed to protect
the environment and represent the needs of the general citizenry. Other types of groups
include single-issue groups, ideological groups, and groups based on race, sex, or sexual
orientation. The interests of foreign governments and foreign businesses are represented
in the American political arena as well.economic Interest Groups
More interest groups are formed to represent economic interests than any other set of
interests. The variety of economic interest groups mirrors the complexity of the American
economy. Major sectors that seek influence in Washington, D.C., include business, agricul-
ture, labor unions, government workers, and professionals.Business Interest Groups. Thousands of business groups and trade associations work
to influence government policies that affect their respective industries. “Umbrella groups”
represent collections of businesses or other entities. For example, the National Association
of Manufacturers is an umbrella group that represents manufacturing concerns. Some
business groups are decidedly more powerful than others. Consider the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce, which represents about 3 million member companies. It can bring constituent
influence to bear on every member of Congress.Agricultural Interest Groups. American farmers and their employees represent less
than 1 percent of the U.S. population. In spite of this, farmers’ influence on legislation
beneficial to their interests has been significant. Farmers have succeeded in their aims
because they have very strong interest groups. For example, the American Farm Bureau
Federation, or Farm Bureau, established in 1919, represents more than 5.5 million families
(a majority of whom are not actually farm families) and is usually seen as conservative.
Agricultural interest groups have probably been more successful than any other groups
in obtaining subsidies from American taxpayers. U.S. farm subsidies cost tax payers about
$16 billion a year. Republicans and Democrats alike have supported agricultural subsidies.
Farmers may not be as successful in today’s budget-cutting environment, however. The most
recent “farm bill” expired in 2012, and the next one may prove to be less generous.labor Interest Groups. Interest groups representing the labor movement date back
to at least 1886, when the American Federation of Labor (AFL) was formed. In 1955, the
AFL joined forces with the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). The AFL-CIO experi-
enced discord within its ranks during 2005, however, as four key unions left the federation
and formed the Change to Win Coalition. Today, Change to Win has a membership of
about 6 million workers, while the AFL-CIO’s membership is about 10 million. Many labor
advocates fear that the split will reduce organized labor’s influence.
Even before the split, the role of unions in American society had been waning, as wit-
nessed by a decline in union membership (see Figure 7–1 on the facing page). This decline has
reduced labor’s political influence. In the age of automation and with the rise of the service
sector, blue-collar workers in basic industries (auto, steel, and the like) represent a smaller and
smaller percentage of the total working population. Because of this decline in the industrial
sector of the economy, national unions are looking to nontraditional areas for their member-
ship, including migrant farmworkers, service workers, and, especially, public employees.LO2: List the major types of
interest groups, especially those
with economic motivations.
Social Media
in Politics
Entering the name or
initials of most interest
groups into a Facebook
search box is likely to
bring up a page with
recent posts by the group’s
supporters. For labor, try
“afl-cio.” The U.S. Chamber
of Commerce page at
“uschamber” is very
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