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Interest Groups
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Value of Interest Groups
• Organizations that seek to achieve their goals by
influencing government decisions.
• James Madison believed interest groups were good.
• Social Capital: the ways in which our lives are improved
by social connections
• Robert Putman believes that social capital improves
lives, communities and improves government. He also
believes that social groups are in decline.
Interest Groups and Civic
Participation
• Interest groups afford a way for people to band
together to influence government as a collective
force.
• They encourage groups to communicate their
views one on one with elected officials.
Pluralist Theory
• Pluralist: a theory that holds policy making is a competition
among diverse interest groups that ensure the representation
of individual interests.
• Pluralist view it as a competition between groups to influence
Congress, Executive branch, and the courts.
• They believe interest groups are essential and that individuals
rights can be protected through these diverse groups.
• They also believe that interest groups provide structure and
rules for participating in politics.
• They believe that these groups form balance in the
government by counter acting each other.
Elite Theory
• A theory that holds that a group of the wealthy,
educated individuals wields most political power.
• Even though a majority of people participate in
interest groups only the elite hold the power
over the U.S. government.
• Elite only protect their interests.
• Non elites can claim elite status through
education. Thus this mobility allows anyone to
move up in status.
Key functions of Interest Groups
• Educate the public about policy issues.
• Provide average citizens with an avenue of access to
activism.
• Mobilize citizens and stimulate them to participate in
political affairs
• Perform electoral
• Provide info and expertise to policy makers.
• Can protect the common good
• Are an integral part of the government system of
checks and balances.
Downside of Interest Groups
• Appearance of corruption
• Fund raise with (PAC) and make money a vital
force in American Politics
• PAC’s in turn make contributions to campaigns.
• They strength incumbents.
• Elites are strengthen by incumbents and non
elites are left weak.
Patterns of Membership
• Interest Group Participation is related to three
demographic characteristics:
1. Income
2. Social Class
3. Education
Participation on Occupation
• People with higher incomes tend to have a better
occupation than most. Thus they have the means to
spend money on interest groups.
• Also some of these higher occupations interest group
activity is useful.
• Ex: Doctors (AMA) or Lawyers (ABA)
• In 2008 the AMA started a campaign to get 47million
Americans health care coverage.
• Teachers and Tradesman are likely to be in Unions and
tend to donate to the NEA.
Interest groups and Social Class
• People of lower social classes will tend not to
participate in interest groups.
• It also depends on if a person starts
participating in them at a young age.
Education and Interest Groups
• Students in college 19-25 are more likely to join
interest groups than their counterparts that are
not in college.
• Higher education tends to mean more
knowledgeable about issues.
• Internet groups have become more predominate
Motivation for joining interest
groups
• For the benefits they receive
• Certain causes
• Meet new people
Solidary Incentives
• Motivation to join an interest group based on
companionship and the satisfaction derived
from socializing with others that it offers.
• Ex: Joining Sierra Club because they enjoy
hiking and protecting the wilderness.
• NRA: Enjoys guns and shooting contest
Purposive Incentives
• Motivation to join an interest group based on
the belief in the groups cause form an
ideological or moral standpoint.
• Ex: PETA because you strongly object to animal
abuse and want to work with others animal
cruelty.
• NRLC because you believe in pro life.
Economic Incentives
• Motivation to join an interest group because the
groups works for policies that provide their
members material benefits.
• Ex: NAPO provides bullet proof vests, overtime
pay, ect
Organizational Resources
• The two resources that interest groups rely on are
membership and financial resources.
• Strength in numbers
• Cohesion of the group
• Intensity
• Demographics
• PAC – political action committee is a group that raises
and spends money in order to influence the outcome
of an election
Organizational Environment
• This is the setting in which interest groups
attempt to achieve its goals.
• Keys are leadership and presence or absence of
opposition from groups.
• Strong Leaders are the key
• Opposition- If no opposition than people are
more likely to believe the group.
Economic Interest Groups
• Corporate and Business- motion picture
association of America (MPAA)
• Umbrella Organization-interest groups that
represent collective groups of industries or
corporations
• Labor- (AFL-CIO)
• Agriculture- (AFBF)
• Trade- (AH&LA)
Public and Ideological Interest
Groups
• Collective Goods- outcomes shared by the general
public
• Free Rider Problem- the phenomenon of someone
deriving benefit from others actions
• Rational Choice Theory- the idea that from an
economic perspective it is not rational for people to
participate in collective action when they can secure
the collective good without participating.
• Consumer interests
• Environmental interests and Religious issues
Interest Group Strategies
• Direct strategies involve actual contact between reps.
of interest groups and policy makers. This is mostly
used.
• Indirect strategies use intermediaries to advocate
cause.
• Lobby-to communicate directly with policy makers on
the interest groups behalf.
• Issue networking – the fluid web of connections
among those concerned about policy and those who
create policy.
Interest Group Strategies cont..
• Iron Triangle- the interaction of mutual interest
among members of congress, executive
agencies, and organized interest during policy
making.
• Litigation by interest groups- example RIAA
and stealing songs.
• Providing expert testimony- celebrates are
brought in to help pass issues.
Indirect Strategies
• Public Outreach is done by climate control
which is building favorable public opinion of
the organization. Wal-Mart example
• Electioneering- working to influence the
elections of candidates who support the
organizations issues.
• This is done through PAC’s and endorsements.
PACs are mainly Democratic.