Interest Groups

11/21/2011

Clearly Communicated Learning Objectives in Written Form

• Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:– discuss and critically analyze political events in the

United States government– students will be able to identify and explain the

role of informal institutions and their effect on policy.

Office Hours and Readings

• Chapter 7• Office Hours– None on Thursday– Monday 8-10:30

"In no country of the world, has the principle of association been more successfully used or applied to a greater multitude of objects than in America“

Alexis de Tocqueville

The Interest Groups in the Constitution

• No specific mention

• Feared by the framers

• Lets pray that Madison is right

WHAT DO INTEREST GROUPS DO

All interest Groups Must:

• Share an interest

• Know the Interest

• Be Organized

Political Interest Groups

• Are private

• Non-Governmental

• Seek policy

What do they Do

• Link Members to Government

• Represent Members views

• Educate members and the public

WHY INTEREST GROUPS FORM

Constitutional Reasons

• Protected by the First Amendment

• The right to “peaceably assemble”

• Federalism

Diversity

• Our diverse society creates many differences which give rise to different interests and view on public issues– Issue Diversity

– Ideological Diversity

– Economic Diversity

– Racial and Ethnic Diversity

Traditional Pluralist Theory

• Writings of David Truman (no relation to Harry)

• Groups will form naturally to press their views on government

• Even Unformed groups play a role

Disturbance Theory

• Groups will respond to other groups

• What will they do– Change the Status Quo– Return to the status quo– Go in a new Direction

THE LOGIC OF COLLECTIVE ACTIONAn Alternate theory of Group Formation

Collective Action

• The Writings of Mancur Olson

• Groups form if it is convenient

• Groups form for Benefits

Logistics of Group Formation

• Potential Membership– Big groups form more easily (fewer costs)– Small groups have to share less (more benefits)

• Geography (not as important today)

Direct Benefits

• Benefits that only members get

• Excludes Non-members

• Economic benefits are most lucrative

Collective benefits

• Benefits that the group works for....

• Everyone gets

• No One is Denied

Groups that Provide Collective Benefits

Overcoming the Free-Rider Problem

• You have to offer people some incentive to join

• Appeal to our greed, or appeal to our ideology

• These are selective incentives

Selective Incentives

Tangible Benefits• Real benefits given to

members by the group

• People outside of the group do not get the goodies

• The AARP

Ideological Benefits• Moral incentives

• Appeals to one’s ideology

• Guilt-ing People

Groups that cannot offer any benefits will not be able to form

KINDS OF INTEREST GROUPS

Private Interest Groups

• Limit their Membership and their benefits

• Business Groups

• Labor Unions

Public Interest Groups

• Concerned with that group’s perception of the general welfare of the population

• Anyone can join

• Everyone receives the benefits

Single Issue Groups

• Concerned with a single policy issue

• Ensures that members know what they do

Umbrella Groups

• Concerned with multiple issues within a larger policy area

• Potential for more resources

• Potential for in-fighting

Interest Groups Today

• Fragmentation

• Specialization

• Cannibalization– Greenpeace vs. Whale

Wars

COMPONENTS OF INTEREST GROUP POWER

Money and Size

• This is a recursive relationship

• There is a problem of being “too big”

Cohesion and Intensity

• Does the group stick together

• Are the members willing to fight for the interests of the group

Access

• The Number one goal of an interest group

• If no one hears your message, it is wasted