Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman. Chapter 11 Focus 1 (p. 322) Define...

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman.

Chapter 11 Focus 1 (p. 322)

Define interest group. What are their roles in our political system?Briefly describe the three theories of interest groups.How do interest groups achieve success?What role does money and funding play in interest group politics?


Chapter 11 Focus 2 (p. 322)

What is lobbying and how does it affect our politics?Who are lobbyists? What are their typical backgrounds?What is public relations and how can it affect public policy?How can PR campaigns affect people and politics?


Interest Groups

Chapter 11

Edwards, Wattenberg, and LineberryGovernment in America: People, Politics, and

PolicyFourteenth Edition


The Role of Interest Groups

Interest group– 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.

Interest groups are distinct from parties.– Political parties fight election battles; interest

groups do not field candidates for office but may choose sides.

– Interest groups are policy specialists; political parties are policy generalists.


Theories of Interest Group Politics

Pluralist Theory– Politics is mainly a competition among groups,

each one pressing for its own preferred policies.

Elite Theory– Societies are divided along class lines and an

upper-class elite rules, regardless of the formal niceties of governmental organization.

Hyperpluralist Theory– Groups are so strong that government is

weakened. This is an extreme, exaggerated form of pluralism.


Theories of Interest Group Politics

Pluralism and Group Theory – Groups provide a key link between the

people and the government.– Groups compete and no one group will

become too dominant.– Groups play by the “rules of the game.”– Groups weak in one resource may use

another.– Lobbying is open to all so is not a

problem.


Theories of Interest Group Politics: Pluralism

Elites and the Denial of Pluralism– Real power is held by the relatively few.– The largest corporations hold the most power.– Elite power is fortified by a system of

interlocking directorates of these corporations and other institutions.

– Other groups may win many minor policy battles, but elites prevail when it comes to big policy decisions.

– Lobbying is a problem because it benefits the few at the expense of the many.


Theories of Interest Group Politics: Elitism


Theories of Interest Group Politics: HyperpluralismSubgovernments – Networks of groups that exercise a great deal of control

over specific policy areas.– Consist of interest groups, government agency, and

congressional committees that handle particular policies– Also known as iron triangles

The hyperpluralist critique– Groups have become too powerful as the government

tries to appease every interest.– Many subgovernments (iron triangles) aggravate the

process.– Trying to please every group results in contradictory

policies.


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



Free-Rider Problem– Some people don’t join interest groups

because they benefit from the group’s activities without officially joining.

– Bigger the group, larger the problem– Large groups are difficult to organizeOlson’s law of large groups:– “The larger the group, the further it will fall

short of providing an optimal amount of a collective good.”

– Overcome Olson’s law by providing selective benefits: Goods that a group can restrict to those who pay their annual dues



Small groups are better organized and more focused on the group’s goals.– Multinational corporations are successful

because there are few of them and, therefore, have an easier time organizing for political action.

– Consumer groups have a difficult time getting significant policy gains because the benefits are spread over the entire population.

– Public interest lobbies seek “a collective good, the achievement of which will not selectively and materially benefit the membership activities of the organization.”



Intensity– Single-Issue groups: groups that focus

on a narrow interest, dislike compromise, and often draw membership from people new to politics

– Groups may focus on an emotional issue, providing them with a psychological advantage.

– Intensity encourages non-conventional means of participation, i.e.—protests



Financial Resources– Not all groups have equal amounts of

money.– Monetary donations usually translate

into access to the politicians, such as a phone call, meeting, or support for policy.

– Wealthier groups have more resources—and presumably more access—but they do not always win on policy.


The Interest Group Explosion


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”

– Two basic types of lobbyists:• Regular, paid employees of a group• Temporary hires



Lobbying– Lobbyists:

• are a source of information• help politicians plan political strategies for

legislation• help politicians plan political strategies for

reelection campaigns• are a source of ideas and innovations

– Mixed evidence as to whether lobbying works



Electioneering– Direct group involvement in the election

process• Groups can help fund campaigns, provide testimony,

and get members to work for candidates; some form PACs.

– Political Action Committee (PAC): Political funding vehicles created by 1974 campaign finance reforms, PACs are used by interest groups to donate money to candidates.

• PACs help pay the bill for increasing campaign costs.• Most PAC money goes to incumbents.



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 to

influence a court’s decision.• amicus curiae: briefs submitted by a “friend of the

court” to raise additional points of view and present information not contained in the briefs of the formal parties

– Class Action lawsuits permit a small number of people to sue on behalf of all other people similar situated.



Going Public– Because public opinion makes its way to

policymakers, groups try to:• cultivate a good public image to build a

reservoir of goodwill with the public• use marketing strategies to influence public

opinion of the group and its issues• advertise to motivate and inform the public

about an issue


Related but unrelated…

The next three clips show the power of Public Relations..Public Relations (PR) primarily operates through the media, but is done through publicity through press releases and opinion influence, NOT with advertising dollars.How do these next three clips show us the public perceptions of these politicians?


Public Relations results in people making snap-associations with any noun in the public arena for example:Tell me the first three words in your mind when you think of:– Abercrombie and Fitch– Halliburton– Apple/iPhone– George W. Bush– Barack Obama


Clip one… Ron Paul


Clip two… Joe Biden


Clip Three…Romney v. Obama


Types of Interest Groups

Economic Interests– Labor– Agriculture– Business

Environmental InterestsEquality InterestsConsumer and Public Interest Lobbies


Understanding Interest Groups

Interest Groups and Democracy– James Madison’s solution to the problems

posed by interest groups was to create a wide-open system in which groups compete.

– Pluralists believe that the public interest would prevail from this competition.

– 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.


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.– As the government does more, does this

cause the formation of more groups?


Summary

Group theories: pluralism, elitism, and hyperpluralismA number of factors influence a group’s success, i.e., being smallInterest groups affect policy process through lobbying, electioneering, litigation, and going public.

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman. Chapter 11 Focus 1 (p. 322) Define...

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