Chapter 15 Interest Groups and Social Movements Collective

Chapter 15: Interest Groups and Social Movements Collective Action, Power, and Representation

Acting Collectively

Ch. 15 Learning Targets • 15. 1 Describe the factors that impact whether or not interest groups will be effective in reaching their policy objectives. • 15. 2 Describe the tactics used by interest groups to achieve their goals and how they interact with bureaucratic agencies and members of Congress through iron triangles and issue networks. • 15. 3 Explain how social movements have an impact on policymaking.

Section 15. 1 Introduction • Interest groups – voluntary associations of people who come together with the goal of getting the policies that they favor enacted • Social movements – diffuse groups that educate the public and put pressure on policymakers in an effort to bring about societal change

Section 15. 1 Interest Groups in American Representative Democracy • Exercising your right to form groups is, in essence, forming a faction – James Madison, Federalist No. 10 • Factions are inevitable in a representative democracy and represent liberty • Lesson the dangers of faction by allowing them to compete • Interest groups compete over conflicting policy desires

Section 15. 1 Theories of Interest Group Formation • Three main theories explain the impact of groups on the political process – all seek to control the policy agenda: – Theory of participatory democracy – the belief that citizens impact policymaking through their involvement in civil society • Groups outside the government that advocate for policy – Pluralist theory – political power is distributed among many competing groups, which means that no one group can grow too powerful – Elite theory – at theory that the wealthy elite class has a disproportionate amount of economic and political power

Section 15. 1 Challenges Facing Interest Groups • Collective action – political action that occurs when individuals contribute their energy, time, or money to a larger group goal – Depends on size, wealth, and political power of a group • Collective good (public good) – a public benefit that individuals can enjoy or profit from even if they do not help achieve it – Individuals may enjoy collective goods and benefit from the actions of an interest group without contributing – free rider problem • Selective benefits – benefits available only to those who join the group – Travel discounts, credentials, high wages

Interest Group Tactics

Ch. 15 Learning Targets • 15. 1 Describe the factors that impact whether or not interest groups will be effective in reaching their policy objectives. • 15. 2 Describe the tactics used by interest groups to achieve their goals and how they interact with bureaucratic agencies and members of Congress through iron triangles and issue networks. • 15. 3 Explain how social movements have an impact on policymaking.

Section 15. 2 Interest Group Tactics • Broad categories of groups • Economic – advocate on behalf of the financial interests of their members • Public – act on behalf of the collective interests of a broad group of individuals • Single-issue – associations focusing on one specific area of public policy, often a moral issue about which they are unwilling to compromise • Government – organizations acting on behalf of local, state, or foreign governments

Section 15. 2 Lobbying by Interest Groups • Interacting with government officials in order to advance a group’s public policy goals – Done to all branches • Legislative – influence legislation • Executive – how laws are implemented • Judicial – how laws are interpreted • Lobbyists provide useful knowledge and access to those in government • Revolving door – the movement of individuals between positions in government and lobbying positions • Lobbyists have greater access to policymakers than average citizens

Section 15. 2 Influencing Legislation • Congress is a target for lobbyists • Strategies: – – Contact members or their staff Prepare research reports and briefs to bring more attention to issue Draft bills and lobby to have them introduced Provide useful and timely information

Section 15. 2 Lobbying Government Agencies • When establishing rules and procedures, bureaucratic agencies generate data and hire experts • Aide in the creation of regulation, just like policy

Section 15. 2 Influencing the Judiciary • File lawsuits – Brown v. Board of Education – NAACP attempted to end legal segregation • When not party to a case, can file amicus curiae briefs – attempt to persuade the Court to agree with the arguments set forth in the brief • Influence judicial appointments

Section 15. 2 Iron Triangles and Issue Networks • Iron triangle – the coordinated and mutually beneficial activities of the bureaucracy, Congress, and interest groups to achieve shared policy goals • Issue network – the webs of influence between interest groups, policymakers, and policy advocates

Section 15. 2 Interest Groups, Money and Campaigns • Can form political action committees (PACs) to donate money directly to candidates – Limited • Can form Super PACs to run its own ads independent from a candidate or campaign – Unlimited • Mobilize voters – GOTV, endorsements, scorecards

Section 15. 2 Mobilizing Members through Grassroots Lobbying and Political Protest • Grassroots lobbying – mobilizing interest group members to pressure their representatives by contacting them directly through phone calls, email, and social media • Protests may gain the attention of the media; inform public • Spreads the word quickly about an issue

Social Movements

Ch. 15 Learning Targets • 15. 1 Describe the factors that impact whether or not interest groups will be effective in reaching their policy objectives. • 15. 2 Describe the tactics used by interest groups to achieve their goals and how they interact with bureaucratic agencies and members of Congress through iron triangles and issue networks. • 15. 3 Explain how social movements have an impact on

Section 15. 3 Choices of Effective Tactics • Protest – a public demonstration designed to call attention to the need for change – Often used by social movements • Civil disobedience – intentionally breaking a law to call attention to an injustice – Effective tool used during civil rights movement

Section 15. 3 Successes and Failures of Social Movements • Depends upon the impact that protest has on the electoral system • Elected officials either accommodate the demands of protestors or decide to ignore • Occupy Wall Street struggled as a movement – Lacked clear message – Lost media coverage • #Me. Too Movement – Viral campaign spreading message of sexual harassment successful at holding high profile individuals accountable for actions via public pressure