Chapter 11: Interest Groups

1. Chapter 11: Interest Groups

2. http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=2661990n&tag=contentBody;storyMediaBoxhttp://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=2661990n&tag=contentBody;storyMediaBox

3. http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/qlh5nb/on-topic---division-of-power---interest-groupshttp://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/qlh5nb/on-topic---division-of-power---interest-groups 4 minutes http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/ssjwly/the-world-according-to-aarp http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/ckzvqn/hebrew-nationalist

4. 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 don’t (don’t run their own candidates for office) - but they may choose sides. • Interest Groups are policy specialists, Political Parties are policy generalists.

11. Interest Group Examples • AARP (American Association of Retired People) • Sierra Club (Environment) • NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) • NOW (National Organization of Women) • ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) • NEA (National Education Association) • AMA (American Medical Association) Thousands of interest groups in the US

12. Sierra Club

13. United Auto Workers (UAW)

14. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

15. American Association of Retired People (AARP)

16. National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

18. How do Interest groups get money? • Donations (YOU!) • Foundations Ex. - Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation • Federal grants and contracts

19. Are interest groups good or bad for Americans politics? • Pluralist Theory • Elite Theory • Hyperpluralist Theory

20. Pluralism Viewpoint on Interest Groups • Politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies. • Many centers of power and many diverse, competing groups. • Groups compete, no one group is likely to become too dominant. • Groups usually play by the “rules of the game.” • Linkage Institution – links people and government, gives voice to the people • Federalist 10 – Madison said factions are bad, but a necessary evil and will cancel each other out

21. Elitism Viewpoint on Interest Groups • 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. • Money dominates • The largest corporations hold the most power.

22. 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.

23. The Revolving Door • A criticism of interest groups • Government officials quit their jobs or don’t get reelected • Then take government jobs for a certain lobbying agency • Fear that private interests by business have an unfair influence on gov decisions • Ex- official does favor in return for later job

24. Hyperpluralism Viewpoint on Interest Groups • 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.

25. 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.

27. What Makes an Interest Group Successful? • A. 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

28. Free-Rider problem: Some people don’t join interest groups because they benefit from the group’s activities without officially joining. • The bigger the group, the larger the free-rider problem. (Olson’s law of large groups) • Large groups are difficult to keep organized. • Small groups are better organized and more focused on the group’s 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.

30. The Benefits of Membership in the AARP

31. B. 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.

33. C. 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 don’t always win in the policy arena.

34. The Interest Group Explosion Figure 11.3

36. How Groups Try to Shape Policy? • A. Lobbying • -“communication by someone other than a citizen acting on his own behalf, directed to a governmental decision maker with the hope of influencing his decision.”

37. Lobbyists are a source of information, especially in technical areas, for legislators. • Lobbyists can provide ideas and innovations that can be turned into policies that the politician can take credit for. • Lobbyists can help politicians plan political strategies for legislation and for reelection campaigns (Electioneering & PACs). • Lobbyists mainly try to influence politicians through information rather than wining and dining them • Money given to candidates more equals access to a politician than buying (bribery) their votes • Affects policy the most when the issue is narrow in scope and has a low public visibility • Lobbying takes place more in the US system than the UK system because really only cabinet members make policy instead of MPs in the UK system.

38. B. 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.

39. C. 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.

40. D. 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.