Interest Groups Interest Groups VocabularyVocabulary

Mr. VasquezMr. VasquezAP U.S. Government and Politics AP U.S. Government and Politics

Linkage institutionsLinkage institutions

•DEFINITIONDEFINITION: The channels through : The channels through which people’s concerns become which people’s concerns become political issues on the government’s political issues on the government’s policy agenda. In the U.S., linkage policy agenda. In the U.S., linkage institutions include elections, political institutions include elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.parties, interest groups, and the media.

Rational-choice Rational-choice theorytheory

•DEFINITION: A popular theory in : A popular theory in political science to explain the actions political science to explain the actions of voters as well as politicians. It of voters as well as politicians. It assumes that individuals act in their assumes that individuals act in their own best interest, carefully weighing own best interest, carefully weighing the costs and benefits of possible the costs and benefits of possible alternatives.alternatives.

Party machinesParty machines

•DEFINITIONDEFINITION: A type of political party : A type of political party organization that relies heavily on organization that relies heavily on material inducements, such as material inducements, such as patronage, to win votes and to govern.patronage, to win votes and to govern.

patronagepatronage

•DEFINITIONDEFINITION: One of the key : One of the key inducements used by party machines. inducements used by party machines. A patronage job, promotion, or A patronage job, promotion, or contract is one that is given for contract is one that is given for political reasons rather than for merit political reasons rather than for merit or competence alone.or competence alone.

Winner-take-all Winner-take-all systemsystem

•DEFINITIONDEFINITION: An electoral system in : An electoral system in which legislative seats are awarded which legislative seats are awarded only to the candidates who come in only to the candidates who come in first in their constituencies. first in their constituencies.

Proportional Proportional representationrepresentation

•DEFINITIONDEFINITION: An electoral system used : An electoral system used throughout most of Europe that awards throughout most of Europe that awards legislative seats to political parties in legislative seats to political parties in proportion to the number of votes won proportion to the number of votes won in an election.in an election.

Party identificationParty identification

•DEFINITIONDEFINITION: A citizen’s self-: A citizen’s self-proclaimed preference for one proclaimed preference for one party or the other.party or the other.

coalitioncoalition

•DEFINITIONDEFINITION: A group of individuals : A group of individuals with a common interest on which with a common interest on which every political party depends.every political party depends.

Interest groupInterest group

•DEFINITIONDEFINITION: An organization of : An organization of people with shared policy goals people with shared policy goals entering the policy process at entering the policy process at several points to try to achieve several points to try to achieve those goals.those goals.

subgovernmentssubgovernments

•DEFINITIONDEFINITION: A network of groups : A network of groups within the American political system within the American political system that exercise great deal of control over that exercise great deal of control over specific policy areas. specific policy areas.

Free-rider problemFree-rider problem

•DEFINITIONDEFINITION: The problems faced by : The problems faced by unions and other groups when people unions and other groups when people do not join because they can benefit do not join because they can benefit from the group’s activities without from the group’s activities without officially joining. The bigger the group, officially joining. The bigger the group, the more serious the problem.the more serious the problem.

Collective goodCollective good

•DEFINITIONDEFINITION: Something of value : Something of value (money, a tax write-off, prestige, clean (money, a tax write-off, prestige, clean air, and so on) that cannot be withheld air, and so on) that cannot be withheld from a group member.from a group member.

Olson’s law of large Olson’s law of large groupsgroups

•DEFINITIONDEFINITION: Advanced by Mancur : Advanced by Mancur Olson, a principle stating that “the Olson, a principle stating that “the larger the group, the further it will fall larger the group, the further it will fall short of providing an optimal amount short of providing an optimal amount of a collective good.”of a collective good.”

Single-issue groupsSingle-issue groups

•DEFINITIONDEFINITION: Groups that have a : Groups that have a narrow interest, tend to dislike narrow interest, tend to dislike compromise, and often draw compromise, and often draw membership from people new to membership from people new to politics. These features distinguish politics. These features distinguish them from traditional interest groups.them from traditional interest groups.

lobbyinglobbying

•DEFINITIONDEFINITION: According to Lester : According to Lester Milbrath, a “communication, by Milbrath, a “communication, by someone other than a citizen acting on someone other than a citizen acting on his own behalf, directed to a his own behalf, directed to a governmental decision maker with the governmental decision maker with the hope of influencing his decision.”hope of influencing his decision.”

electioneeringelectioneering

•DEFINITIONDEFINITION: Direct group involvement : Direct group involvement in the electoral process. Groups can in the electoral process. Groups can help fund campaigns, provide help fund campaigns, provide testimony, and get members to work testimony, and get members to work for candidates, and some for political for candidates, and some for political action committees.action committees.

Political action Political action committees (pacs)committees (pacs)

•DEFINITIONDEFINITION: Political funding vehicles : Political funding vehicles created by the 1974 campaign finance created by the 1974 campaign finance reforms. A corporation, union, or some reforms. A corporation, union, or some other interest group can create a PAC other interest group can create a PAC and register it with the Federal Election and register it with the Federal Election Commission, which will meticulously Commission, which will meticulously monitor the PAC’s expenditures.monitor the PAC’s expenditures.

Union shopUnion shop

•DEFINITIONDEFINITION: A provision found in : A provision found in some collective bargaining some collective bargaining agreements requiring all employees of agreements requiring all employees of a business to join the union within a a business to join the union within a short period, usually 30 days, and to short period, usually 30 days, and to remain members as a condition of remain members as a condition of employment.employment.

Right-to-work lawRight-to-work law

•DEFINITIONDEFINITION: A state law forbidding : A state law forbidding requirements that workers must join a requirements that workers must join a union to hold their jobs. State right-to-union to hold their jobs. State right-to-work laws were specifically permitted work laws were specifically permitted by the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947.by the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947.

Public interest Public interest groupsgroups

•DEFINITIONDEFINITION: According to Jeffrey : According to Jeffrey Berry, organizations that seek “a Berry, organizations that seek “a collective good, the achievement of collective good, the achievement of which will not selectively and which will not selectively and materially benefit the membership or materially benefit the membership or activities of the organization.activities of the organization.