We the People, Sixth edition by Benjamin Ginsberg, Theodore J. Lowi, and Margaret Weir

1. We the People, Sixtheditionby Benjamin Ginsberg, Theodore J. Lowi, and Margaret Weir Chapter 11. Groups and Interests

2. Cartoon Introduction

5. God is everywhere—even K Street. According to a new study from the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life, the number of organizations involved in religious lobbying or religion-related advocacy has increased nearly fivefold since 1970. At least 1,000 people work to extend God's influence in Washington, spending at least $390 million a year in the process. …roughly a fifth of the religious advocacy organizations in Washington push issues of concern to the Roman Catholic community, while a similar proportion represent evangelical Protestant interests; 12% are Jewish.

6. James Madison’s Federalist #10 provides a basis for understanding the strengths and weaknesses of interest group politics in the United States. “By a faction I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community.” --James Madison, Federalist #10 Interest Group Pluralism

7. Madison believed that by expanding the number of factions in a society, you could render factions less dangerous to the rights of others or the interests of the community. Pluralism: the theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government, with an outcome of compromise and moderation

8. Pluralist theory

9. Pluralism and Group Theory • Many centers of power • The group theory of politics comes out of this view: • Groups provide a clear 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.

11. Elitist Theory

12. Elites and the Denial of Pluralism • Elitists are impressed by how insignificant most groups are • Real power is held by relatively few people, key groups and institutions. • For them , government is run by a few big interests looking out for themselves. • The majority of the public has tended to reach the same conclusion.

13. Elites and the Denial of Pluralism (2) • Elitists criticize pluralist theory by pointing to concentrations of power in a few hands. • Not diffusion, but interlocking and concentrated power centers are the rule • Boards, multinational corporations, corporate elites are the wielders of power

14. Elites and the Denial of Pluralism (3) • Summary of points: • Numerous groups: meaningless. They are very unequal in power • Role of Corporations • Interlocking directorates • Minor decisions: groups win and lose, Major decisions :corporate elites always win.

15. Hyperpluralist theory = every group must be acommodated

17. Hyperpluralism and IG Liberalism • Interest Group Liberalism and Lowi • All IG demands are legitimate and government must advance them all. • In effort to please and appease every interest, agencies proliferate, conflicting regulations expand, programs multiply and of course budgets skyrocket…

18. Hyperpluralism and IG Liberalism (2) • IGL is promoted by the networks of “subgovernments” (also called Iron triangles, networks, etc.) • Composed of key interest group leaders interested in policy “X” and the members of the government agency in charge of policy “X” and the members of Congressional committees and subcommittees who handle policy “X”. • All have similar goal: protecting their self-interest…

19. One Kind of Sub-government

20. Hyperpluralism and IG Liberalism (3) • Problem with the interest group system is that the relationship between groups and government is too “cozy”. • Hard decisions don’t get made. • Instead of choosing, an effort is made to pursue all options simultaneously.Result: policy parlysis.

21. Hyperpluralism and IG Liberalism (4) • In summary: • Groups are too powerful and government tries to please them all. • IGL is aggravated by numerous subgovernments • Trying to please every group results in contradictory and confusing policy.

22. The Insights of Ornstein and Schmitt • The New World of Interest Politics: 1990 • The case of AARP and the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988 • The Moroccan Casbah model of interest group interaction: from close door market place to wide open competition. • The structure of modern interest groups: leaders, activists, bureaucrats and the grass roots….

23. The Insights of Ornstein and Schmitt • The New World of Interest Politics: 1990 • The case of AARP and the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988 • The Moroccan Casbah model of interest group interaction: from close door market place to wide open competition. • The structure of modern interest groups: leaders, activists, bureaucrats and the grass roots….

24. The Character of Interest Groups Interest Groups form: • To increase the chance that their views will be heard • To influence government • To represent interests and encourage political participation

25. Some interest groups organize because they have a direct economic interest in government policies. Examples of such business and agricultural groups include: • National Association of Manufacturers • American Farm Bureau Federation

26. Organized labor organizations are important interest groups in Washington politics. Examples include: • AFL-CIO • Teamsters • International Lady Garment Workers Union

27. The Fate Of Labor Unions

28. Professional associations like the • American Medical Association • American Bar Association also try to influence the government.

29. Some groups, like public interest groups and ideological groups become active not for direct economic interest but for some broader purpose. Public-sector groups, like the National League of Cities, think tanks, or universities also lobby the government.

30. Despite the promise of pluralism and the wide variety of interest groups that exist, there are a number of what the political scientist David Truman called “potential interest groups.” Potential interest groups are those interests in society that lacking group organization, also lack adequate representation in the pluralist system.

31. Organizational Components In The Logic of Collective Action, Mancur Olson argued that incentives exist for individuals to shirk their responsibilities to contribute to the public good. In the area of public policy, where benefits achieved are distributed equally to those who contributed to policy formation and those who did not, individuals have incentives to free ride and let others invest time, energy, and money to getting the policy passed.

33. Through the provision of selective benefits, interest groups give individuals incentives to join the group. Types of Selective Benefits Informational benefits Material benefits Solidary benefits Purposive benefits

34. Insert Table 11.1 Here

35. Pluralists argued that interest groups: • Represent many diverse interests in society • Provide expert information and perspectives that improve policy-making

36. IG Rate the Members of Congress

37. Critics of pluralism argued that interest groups: • Over-represent the wealthy in society • Provide self-serving and biased information that warp policy making • Olson’s law of large groups

38. Insert Figure 11.1 here

40. The Proliferation of Groups The expansion of government has helped spark the proliferation of interest groups, both those in favor of new government activities and those opposed.

41. A second factor explaining the growth in interest groups is the emergence of the new politics movement and public interest groups. New politics movement: a political movement made up of professionals and intellectuals for whom the civil rights and anti-war movements were formative experiences Public interest groups: groups that claim to serve the general good rather than their own interest

42. A third factor explaining the rise of interest groups is the growth in recent years of conservative interest groups like: • the Christian Coalition • the National Taxpayers Union • the National Federation of Independent Business

43. WHAT DO YOU THINK? • Do you agree with pluralists that the proliferation of interest groups is a good thing? • How do interest groups overcome the collective action problem? • Which groups do you think have a more difficult time overcoming the collective action problem, public interest groups or economic interest groups? Why?

44. Contemporary interest groups seek influence over policy makers through a mix of inside strategies and outside strategies. Inside strategies include: Lobbying Influencing administrative rule making Litigation Outside strategies include: Influencing election outcomes Affecting media coverage Strategies: The Quest for Power

45. Insert Figure 11.2 here

46. Some interest groups lobby legislatures to affect public policy. Sometimes lobbyists engage in cross-lobbying by trying to organize one another to affect public policy. Some groups attain enough access to achieve actual involvement in the government decision-making process.

47. Who Lobbies

48. iron triangle: the stable, cooperative relationship that often develops between a congressional committee, an administrative agency, and one or more supportive interest groups Corridoring: working to gain influence in an executive agency Types of Access Capture: an interest’s acquisition of substantial influence over the government agency charged with regulating its activities

49. Insert Figure 11.3 here

50. Interest groups sometimes pursue a legal strategy to achieve their policy aims. Either as parties to legal suits or by submitting amicus curiae briefs, interest groups seek to affect court decisions.