7.4.1: The Range of Interest Groups in Sacramento

Contemporary Groups

When considering the role of groups in politics, how should we count and categorize them? The most common approach is using the lobbyist database compiled by the California Secretary of State. This office publishes a directory of lobbyists, their employers, and all campaign contributions of $100 or more. About four thousand lobbyists work in Sacramento, including in-house lobbyists who work for a particular interest and contract lobbyists representing many interests.

Let’s categorize interest groups according to who they represent. We can discern four types: business, labor, government, and citizen groups. A business interest group directly represents one business (such as a single utility or oil company) or may represent hundreds of organizations, such as the California Chamber of Commerce. It may also be an association of professionals, such as realtors or doctors. A labor group is typically a union. Its members are employees who contribute dues that pay for political activities. Government groups are groups that represent local governments. They seek to inform and persuade lawmakers about local preferences. Government groups cannot give campaign contributions. Finally, citizen groups are all the groups that represent a myriad of contemporary concerns, such as social, environmental, or civil rights issues. In the last few decades, citizen groups have proliferated! Table 7.4.1.1. lists selected groups under each category.

Table \(\PageIndex{1}\):Types of Interest Groups

Types of Interest Groups with Examples
Business  California Chamber of Commerce Chevron, USA California Farm Bureau California Medical Association
Labor California Teachers Association Service Employees International Union
Government League of California Cities
Citizen Mexican American Legal Defense Fund Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association Right to Life League

Table 7.4.1.2 shows the expenditures of lobbyists in one legislative cycle.

Table \(\PageIndex{2}\): Lobbying Expenditures by Economic Sector

Lobbyists Categorized by Economic Sector	Expenditures in the 2019-2020 legislative session (millions)
Agriculture	10.1
Education	47.7
Entertainment	14.1
Finance	53.1
Government	116.3
Health	87.7
Labor Unions	24.0
Legal	13.0
Lodging/Restaurants	3.5
Manufacturing/Industrial	72.7
Merchandising/Retail	12.3
Miscellaneous	148.9 (self-designated)
Oil/Gas	38.5
Political Organization	.6
Professional Trade	29.9
Public Employee	8.9
Real Estate	16.8
Transportation	20.8
Utilities	55.5

(California Secretary of State)

Total spending for state legislative races, including individual, party, and interest group expenditures in 2020, was $103,508,616 for the State Assembly races and $56,819,236 for the State Assembly. The top interest group contributors to state legislative races in this election are listed in Table 7.4.1.3.

Table \(\PageIndex{3}\): Top Ten Contributors to State Legislative Races in 2020

Top Ten Interest Group Contributors to State Legislative Candidates	Expenditures (in millions)
California Association of Realtors	4.5
California State Council of Laborers	4.0
Service Employees International Union California State Council	3.9
State Building and Construction Trade Council	3.9
California Teachers Association	3.5
California Professional Fire Fighters Association	2.9
Pechanga Band of Luiseño Mission Indians	2.9
AT&T	2.8
California Dental Association	2.8
California State Association of Electrical Workers	2.8

(“At a Glance”)

Reviewing the data in Table 7.4.1.3 about lobbying and campaign finance shows that lobbyists and campaign finance contributions represent a diverse group of organized interests: businesses, labor, government, and citizen groups. However, it is clear that if a group of Californians does not organize into an interest group and lobby, their voice will not be as well-represented. Thus, the voices of poor people and other marginalized groups are not very well represented in interest group politics.