Interest Groups

1
Interest Groups

• Chapter 11

2
The Role and Reputation of Interest Groups

• Defining Interest Groups
• An organization of people with shared policy
  goals entering the policy process at several
  points to try to achieve those goals. Interest
  groups pursue their goals in many arenas.
• Political Parties fight election battles,
  Interest Groups dont - but they may choose
  sides.
• Interest Groups are policy specialists, Political
  Parties are policy generalists.

3
Theories of Interest Group Politics

• Pluralist Theory
• Elite Theory
• Hyperpluralist Theory

4
Theories of Interest Group Politics - Pluralism

• Definition
• Politics is mainly a competition among groups,
  each one pressing for its own preferred policies.
• Many centers of power and many diverse, competing
  groups.
• No group wins or loses all the time.
• Groups provide the key link between the people
  and the government.

5
Theories of Interest Group Politics - Pluralism

• Continued
• Groups provide a key link between people and
  government.
• Groups compete.
• No one group is likely to become too dominant.
• Groups usually play by the rules of the game.
• Groups weak in one resource can use another.

6
Theories of Interest Group Politics - Elitism

• Definition
• Societies are divided along class lines and an
  upper-class elite rules, regardless of the formal
  niceties of governmental organization.
• Numerous groups mean nothing, power is not
  equally divided among them - some have much more.
• The largest corporations hold the most power.

7
Theories of Interest Group Politics - Elitism

• Continued
• Elite power is strengthened by a system of
  interlocking directorates of these corporations
  and other institutions.
• Corporate elites are willing to lose the minor
  policy battles, but work to win the major policy
  issues in their favor.
• Lobbying is a problem because it benefits the few
  at the expense of the many.

8
Theories of Interest Group Politics - Elitism

• Perceptions of the Dominance of Big Interests
  (Figure 11.1)

9
Theories of Interest Group Politics -
Hyperpluralism

• Definition
• Groups are so strong that government is weakened.
  Extreme, exaggerated form of pluralism.
• Subgovernments consist of a network of groups
  that exercise a great deal of control over
  specific policy areas.
• Interest groups have become too powerful as the
  government tries to serve every interest.

10
Theories of Interest Group Politics -
Hyperpluralism

• Continued
• The many subgovernments (iron triangles)
  aggravate the process.
• When the government tries to please all the
  groups, the policies become confusing and
  contradictory.
• With more interest groups getting involved, these
  subgovernments may be dissolving.

11
What Makes an Interest Group Successful?
12
What Makes an Interest Group Successful?

• The Surprising Ineffectiveness of Large Groups
• Potential group All the people who might be
  interest group members because they share a
  common interest.
• Actual group The part of the potential group
  consisting of members who actually join.
• Collective good Something of value that cannot
  be withheld from a group member

13
What Makes an Interest Group Successful?

• Free-Rider problem Some people dont join
  interest groups because they benefit from the
  groups activities without officially joining.
• The bigger the group, the larger the free-rider
  problem. (Olsons law of large groups)
• Large groups are difficult to keep organized.

14
What Makes an Interest Group Successful?

• Small groups are better organized and more
  focused on the groups goals.
• Consumer groups have a difficult time getting
  significant policy gains - the benefits are
  spread over the entire population.
• Groups that can provide selective benefits can
  overcome this problem.

15
What Makes an Interest Group Successful?

• The Benefits of Membership in the AARP (Figure
  11.2)

16
What Makes an Interest Group Successful?

• Intensity
• Single-Issue groups Groups that focus on a
  narrow interest and dislike compromise.
• Groups may focus on an emotional issue, providing
  them with a psychological advantage.
• May be more likely to use protests and other
  means of political participation than traditional
  interest groups that use lobbyists.

17
What Makes an Interest Group Successful?

• Financial Resources
• Not all groups have equal amounts of money.
• Monetary donations usually translate into access
  to the politicians - a phone call, a meeting,
  etc.
• There is a bias towards the wealthier groups.
• The wealthier groups dont always win in the
  policy arena.

18
The Interest Group Explosion
19
How Groups Try to Shape Policy

• Lobbying
• communication by someone other than a citizen
  acting on his own behalf, directed to a
  governmental decisionmaker with the hope of
  influencing his decision. (Lester Milbrath)
• Two basic types Those that are employed by a
  group, and those that are hired temporarily.

20
How Groups Try to Shape Policy

• Lobbyists are a source of information.
• Lobbyists can help politicians plan political
  strategies for legislation.
• Lobbyists can help politicians plan political
  strategies for reelection campaigns.
• Lobbyists can provide ideas and innovations that
  can be turned into policies that the politician
  can take credit for.

21
How Groups Try to Shape Policy

• Electioneering
• Direct group involvement in the election process.
• Political Action Committee (PAC) Used by
  interest groups to donate money to candidates.
• PACs help pay the bill for increasing campaign
  costs.
• Most PAC money goes to incumbents.

22
How Groups Try to Shape Policy

• Litigation
• If an interest group fails in one arena, the
  courts may be able to provide a remedy.
• Interest groups can file amicus curiae briefs in
  court cases to support their position.
• Class Action lawsuits permit small groups of
  people to try and correct a situation on behalf
  of a much larger group.

23
How Groups Try to Shape Policy

• Going Public
• Groups try and cultivate a good public image.
• Groups use marketing strategies to influence
  public opinion of the group and its issues.
• Groups will purchase advertising to motivate the
  public about an issue.

24
Types of Interest Groups

• Economic Interests
• Labor
• Agriculture
• Business
• Environmental Interests
• Equality Interests
• Consumer and Public Interest Lobbies

25
Understanding Interest Groups

• Interest Groups and Democracy
• James Madisons solution to the problems posed by
  interest groups was to create a wide-open system
  in which groups compete.
• Elite theorists point to the proliferation of
  business PACs as evidence of interest group
  corruption.
• Hyperpluralists maintain that group influence has
  led to policy gridlock.

26
Understanding Interest Groups

• Interest Groups and the Scope of Government
• Interest groups seek to maintain policies and
  programs that benefit them.
• Interest groups continue to pressure government
  to do more things.
• But as the government does more things, does that
  cause the formation of more groups?