Chapter Ten Interest Groups Interest Groups in America

Interest Groups in America • An interest group is “an organized body of individuals

Interest Groups in America (Cont’d) • Interest groups play many roles in the American

Figure 10. 2: Group Stimulation Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 4

How Interest Groups Form • Pluralists such as David Truman see interest groups naturally

How Interest Groups Form (Cont’d) • Who is being organized is also an important

How Interest Groups Form (Cont’d) • Three variables help explain why groups become or

Interest Group Resources • One of the most valuable resources a group can have

Interest Group Resources (Cont’d) • Lobbyists can be either full-time employees of the organization

Lobbying Tactics • In direct lobbying, a group’s representatives have direct contact with a

Lobbying Tactics (Cont’d) • Information campaigns are organized efforts to gain public backing by

Lobbying Tactics (Cont’d) • High-tech lobbying has sped up the political process; groups can

Lobbying Tactics (Cont’d) • Coalition building takes place when several groups join together in

Interest Groups and Bias • Lobbying can be evaluated through both the pluralist and

Interest Groups and Bias (Cont’d) • The interest group system is tempered by the

Interest Groups and Bias (Cont’d) • Recent campaign finance reform and calls for public

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Chapter Ten Interest Groups

Interest Groups in America • An interest group is “an organized body of individuals who share some political goals and try to influence public policy. ” • Do interest groups contribute to the proper functioning of democracy, or are they a threat to it? Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 2

Interest Groups in America (Cont’d) • Interest groups play many roles in the American political system: • • • Representation Participation Education Agenda building Program monitoring Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 3

How Interest Groups Form • Pluralists such as David Truman see interest groups naturally forming when people are adversely affected by a disturbance (disturbance theory). • Political scientist Robert Salisbury argues that the quality of leadership is a key determinant of successful interest group formation. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 5

How Interest Groups Form (Cont’d) • Who is being organized is also an important force affecting group formation. • The wealthy and the well educated are more likely to form and join lobbies. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6

How Interest Groups Form (Cont’d) • Three variables help explain why groups become or do not become fully organized. • A disturbance or change may make people aware that they need political representation • The quality of leadership • The higher the socioeconomic level of potential members, the more likely those members are to join. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 7

Interest Group Resources • One of the most valuable resources a group can have is a large and politically active membership. • The free rider problem is a situation in which people benefit from the activities of the organization but do not contribute to those activities. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8

Interest Group Resources (Cont’d) • Lobbyists can be either full-time employees of the organization or hired from law firms or public relations firms. • Political action committees (PACs) pool contributions from group members and donate those funds to candidates for office. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 9

Lobbying Tactics • In direct lobbying, a group’s representatives have direct contact with a policymaker. • In grassroots lobbying, an interest group’s rank-and-file members, and possibly others outside the organization, try to influence government on some issue. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 10

Lobbying Tactics (Cont’d) • Information campaigns are organized efforts to gain public backing by bringing the group’s views to the public’s attention. • Many lobbyists have added a range of high-techniques to their repertoire. • Lobbies use technologies like e-mail, polling, and the World Wide Web to expand their reach. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 11

Lobbying Tactics (Cont’d) • High-tech lobbying has sped up the political process; groups can quickly mobilize their constituents, who can then quickly contact policymakers about impending decisions. • The Web has also allowed people to organize who might not otherwise be able to contact each other easily. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 12

Interest Groups and Bias • Lobbying can be evaluated through both the pluralist and majoritarian frameworks. • Evaluating fairness in the pluralist framework requires that we take account of significant interests in the population, such as potential membership bias, citizen groups, and business mobilization. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 14

Interest Groups and Bias (Cont’d) • The interest group system is tempered by the majoritarianism of elections. • The party that wins an election will have more say than its opponent in granting interest groups access, and thus in giving them a voice in policymaking. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 15

Interest Groups and Bias (Cont’d) • Recent campaign finance reform and calls for public financing of congressional elections are potential methods to reduce the presumed influence of interest groups on Congress. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 16