INTEREST GROUPS

… an organization or people with shared policy goals entering the policy process at several points to try to achieve those goals

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF RETIRED PERSONS

NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION

PEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE

NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN

1. While political parties fight their battles in the electoral process, interest groups do not seek to get their members elected– Interest groups may support candidates for office,

but American interest groups do not run their own slate of candidates

2. Interest groups are often policy specialists, whereas political parties are policy generalists

3. Unlike political parties, interest groups do not face the constraint imposed by trying to appeal to everyone

LOBBYING

• “communication, by someone other than a citizen acting on his own behalf, directed to a governmental decisionmaker with the hope of influencing behavior”

• a. they are an important source of information providing specialized expertise in a single policy area

• b. they can help a member with political strategy for getting legislation through (they act as consultants)

• c. they can help formulate campaign strategy and get the group’s members behind a politician’s re-election campaign

• d. they are a source of ideas and innovations

Theories of Interest Group Politics

“Do interest groups and lobbying create problems for government?”

Three theories to answer this question:

• Pluralism• Elitism

• Hyperpluralism

1. Pluralist Theory• a theory of government and politics

emphasizing that politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies– a. argues that interest group activity brings

representation to all– b. groups compete and counterbalance one

another in the political marketplaceTherefore: lobbying is open to all and is positive.

2. Elite Theory• a theory of government and politics contending

that societies are divided along class lines and that an upper-class elite will rule, regardless of the formal niceties of governmental organization

• A few groups (primarily the wealthy) have most of the power

• Most interest groups are insignificantTherefore: lobbying is a problem because it

benefits the few at the expense of the many.

3. Hyperpluralist Theory• a theory of government and politics

contending that groups are so strong that government is weakened– a. hyperpluralism is an extreme, exaggerated, or

perverted form of pluralism– b. too many groups are getting too much of what

they want, resulting in government policy that is often contradictory and lacking in direction

Therefore: lobbying results in contradictory and confusing public policies.

Iron Triangles

• A network of subgovernments, a mutually dependent, mutually advantageous relationship between interest groups interested in a particular policy, government agencies that administer that policy, and the congressional committees that handle it.

• Hyperpluralists believe these relationships are ‘too cozy’ and lead to hard choices rarely being made … leading to contradiction and/or policy gridlock.

The “Iron Triangle”

What makes interest groups successful?

SizeIntensityFinancial resources

Smaller groups are more likely to achieve their goals than large

groups.But, Why?

Potential Groups

• All people who might be members due to a shared interest

Actual Group

• Those in the potential group who choose to join

• The greater the percentage of the potential group in the actual group = greater effectiveness of the group• Therefore, smaller groups usually

have an advantage in this regard.

Collective Good

• Something of value that cannot be denied or withheld from either potential or actual group members

• Such as clean air• In other words: Potential members benefit

from positives that the actual group works to secure.

Therefore, the problem presents itself …

“Why should I, a potential member, become an actual member … if I’ll

benefit anyways?”

The Free Rider Problem

• The problem of not joining the actual group because benefits will be realized without joining.

“Why should I work for a group, pay dues, give time and energy, etc. when I get the

advantages without doing anything?”

How to Overcome this Problem …

• Providing attractive benefits only for actual members.

• These are called Selective Benefits.– Goods that a group can restrict to those who are

in the actual group

Also …

• “Issue Intensity”• Single-Issue Group: a narrow interest, dislikes

compromise, and single-mindedly pursues its goal

Financial Resources

• Major criticism of the interest group system is that it is biased toward the wealthy

Top Groups, according to ‘power’:1. NRA2. AARP3. National Federation of Independent Business4. American Israel Public Affairs Committee5. AFL-CIO

How Interest Groups Shape Policy

• Lobbying• Litigation• Going Public• Electioneering– PACs

Types of Interest Groups

• Economic Interests– Labor, Business

• Environmental Interests– WWF, Nature Conservancy

• Equality Interests– NOW, NAACP

• Consumer/Public Interest Lobbies