For your look at interest groups, an example of a governmental organization. This is a national umbrella group, that focuses on the interests of state and local employees at the national level, meaning that they focus on Congress. Your textbook lists a variety that do so at the state level, meaning that they focus on the Texas legislature.
For more, click on the links below:
- Ballotpedia.
- Wikipedia.
From Wikipedia: The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) is the largest trade union of public employees in the United States. It represents 1.3 million public sector employees and retirees, including health care workers, corrections officers, sanitation workers, police officers, firefighters, and childcare providers. Founded in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1932, AFSCME is part of the AFL–CIO, one of the two main labor federations in the United States. AFSCME has had four presidents since its founding.
The union is known for its involvement in political campaigns, almost exclusively with the Democratic Party. AFSCME was one of the first groups to take advantage of the 2010 Citizens United decision, which allowed unions and corporations to directly finance ads that expressly call for the election or defeat of a candidate. Major political issues for AFSCME include single-payer health care, protecting pension benefits, raising the minimum wage, preventing the privatization of government jobs, and extending unemployment benefits.
For a look at their campaign activity, click here.
