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US Politics

US Politics. Interest Groups. Overview. Definition of Interest Group The Role of Interest Groups Why Join? Logic of Collective Action Benefits Delivered Types of Interest Groups Influence and Importance. Definition. Interest Group:

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US Politics

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  1. US Politics Interest Groups

  2. Overview • Definition of Interest Group • The Role of Interest Groups • Why Join? • Logic of Collective Action • Benefits Delivered • Types of Interest Groups • Influence and Importance

  3. Definition • Interest Group: • An organized group of individuals sharing common objectives who actively attempt to influence policymakers

  4. Logic of Collective Action • Prisoner’s Dilemma

  5. Prisoners’ Dilemma • Scenario: • You and an accomplice are arrested on suspicion of committing some nasty crime • The District Attorney and the police have been unable to produce enough evidence to convict you of that offense

  6. Prisoners’ Dilemma • We do have enough evidence to convict you of some lesser charge • The only way the DA can nail you for the more serious offense is if one of you rats out the other • Conversely, you and your partner can largely elude prosecution if you both stay silent • You and your partner are placed in separate holding cells and are unable to communicate with each other • DA enters and offers you the following:

  7. Rat Hang Tough Rat Hang Tough Prisoners’ Dilemma

  8. From your perspective, you and your accomplice are faced with the following: Don’t Cooperate with each other (rat) Cooperate with each other (hang tough) Don’t Cooperate with each other (rat) Cooperate with each other (hang tough) Prisoners’ Dilemma

  9. Rat Hang Tough 0, 10 Rat Hang Tough Prisoners’ Dilemma

  10. Rat Hang Tough 0, 10 Rat Hang Tough Prisoners’ Dilemma

  11. Column Player Rat Hang Tough 0 , 10 Rat Row Player Hang Tough 10 , 0 Prisoners’ Dilemma

  12. Rat Hang Tough 5, 5 0, 10 Rat Hang Tough 10, 0 Prisoners’ Dilemma

  13. Rat Hang Tough 5, 5 0, 10 Rat Hang Tough 10, 0 1, 1 Prisoners’ Dilemma

  14. What to do? Which strategy should you select? Rat Hang Tough 5, 5 0, 10 Rat Hang Tough 10, 0 1, 1 Prisoners’ Dilemma

  15. Dominant Strategy Rat Hang Tough Dominant Strategy 5, 5 0, 10 Rat Hang Tough 10, 0 1, 1 Prisoners’ Dilemma

  16. Dominant Strategy Rat Hang Tough Dominant Strategy 5, 5 0, 10 Rat Hang Tough 10, 0 1, 1 Prisoners’ Dilemma

  17. Neither player can improve his/her position, Nash Equilibrium Rat Hang Tough 5, 5 0, 10 Rat Hang Tough 10, 0 1, 1 Prisoners’ Dilemma

  18. Neither player can unilaterally improve his/her position Nash Equilibrium Rat Hang Tough 5, 5 0, 10 Rat Hang Tough 10, 0 1, 1 Prisoners’ Dilemma

  19. Prisoners’ Dilemma • Generalized Form: • Rank Outcomes, from most preferred to least preferred • 1 = first choice • 2 = second choice • 3 = third choice • 4 = fourth choice • Choice is “cooperate” or “not cooperate”

  20. Don’t Cooperate Cooperate 3 , 3 1 , 4 Don’t Cooperate Cooperate 4 , 1 2 , 2 Prisoners’ Dilemma

  21. Prisoners’ Dilemma • Symbolic Form: • We’re in a Prisoner’s Dilemma situation whenever: T > R > P > S Temptation to defect > Rewards of Cooperation Rewards > Punishment for Not Cooperating Punishment > Sucker’s Payoff

  22. Prisoners’ Dilemma • Note that even if we start at the cooperative outcome, that outcome is not stable • Each player can improve his/her position by adopting a different strategy

  23. Don’t Cooperate Cooperate 3 , 3 1 , 4 Don’t Cooperate Cooperate 4 , 1 2 , 2 Prisoners’ Dilemma

  24. Prisoners’ Dilemma • But since both players have changed strategy we end up at the non-cooperative outcome, where both players are worse off than if they had chosen to cooperate

  25. Don’t Cooperate Cooperate 3 , 3 1 , 4 Don’t Cooperate Cooperate 4 , 1 2 , 2 Prisoners’ Dilemma

  26. Prisoners’ Dilemma • And, as we noted, this non-cooperative outcome is also a Nash equilibrium outcome; • Neither player has any incentive to change strategy since whoever changes will do immediately worse by making the move

  27. Don’t Cooperate Cooperate 3 , 3 1 , 4 Don’t Cooperate Cooperate 4 , 1 2 , 2 Prisoners’ Dilemma

  28. PD & Interest Groups • If a “collective good” is involved, individuals have little incentive to work towards achieving that good. • Makes sense for others to do the work and sit back and reap the benefits of their labor • But if that’s the case, then no one will do the work and the collective benefit won’t be delivered

  29. PD & Interest Groups • Groups need to overcome the logic of collective action • Provide benefits so that potential members recalculate the costs/benefits of contributing

  30. Benefits Delivered • Material Incentives • monetary or other tangible rewards offered in exchange for membership • Solidary Benefits • the positive gain of associating with other people • Purposive Incentive • close identification of the group goal with personal goals

  31. Types of Interest Groups • Economic Interest Groups • Business • Labor • Agriculture • Professional Associations

  32. Types of Interest Groups • Environmental Groups • “Public Interest” Groups • “Single Interest” or “Other”

  33. Sources of Power • Interest Group success on an issue is a measure of the power of the interest group • where “success” means ability to get political actors to adopt and implement positions and policies favorable to the group • The more success, the greater the power • What sources of power can interest groups draw on?

  34. Sources of Power Membership Size • Total number of active members • Total number of “sympathetic” persons • Financial Resources

  35. Sources of Power Cohesiveness • Will membership act as unifed force? • Will membership participate fully in group activities like: • Letter writing, voting, boycotting, protesting

  36. Sources of Power Leadership • Will leaders effectively expand membership and recruit • Public relations • Lobbying efforts

  37. Interest Group Strategies • Recall definition of interest groups: • An organized group of individuals sharing common objectives who actively attempt to influence policymakers • So, how do we influence policymakers?

  38. Insider Involves direct contact between IG and the political actor being influenced Outsider IG uses third parties from “beyond the beltway” to influence political actors Interest Group Strategies Two main strategies:

  39. Interest Group Strategies • Insider • Lobbying • providing information • testifying before members of Congress • presenting evidence to bureaucratic agencies • informal social gatherings

  40. Interest Group Strategies • Direct • Campaign Assistance • Volunteer to staff/help in campaign • Contributions

  41. Interest Group Strategies • Outsider • Build alliances with other interest groups to influence political figures • Mobilize/shape public opinion • Mobilize constituents • Litigate

  42. Interest Group Impact • Interest Groups provide an important opportunity for citizen participation in the political process • Yet the growth of interest groups on specific issues has potential to mask “private” interest as public policy

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