Interest Groups

1. Interest Groups Definitions Types Resources Strategies and Tactics Democratic Theory

2. Interest Group Collection of persons who Share common interest or attitude Interact with one another, directly or indirectly Have policy goals Try to affect policy process to achieve goals

3. Differ from Political Parties Don�t nominate candidates Don�t work through elections/campaigns Don�t try to get control of govt Political Movements Outside conventional political arena Active participation from citizens Charismatic leaders Less organized, less stable

4. Back to Madison �The latent causes of faction sown in the nature of man.� Most common source of faction = unequal distribution of property De Tocqueville Americans are a nation of joiners Principle of association � protected by 1st A

5. Three Types of IGs Special Interest Groups � particular but broad range of issues Business related Corporations Trade Associations Labor Professional Non-economic groups Demographic Education

6. Public Interest Groups Focus on general claims and needs of whole population Seek a collective good Mancur Olson � �logic of collective action� and need for incentives Examples Environmental Good government

7. Single Interest Groups Narrow range of concerns Intense interests Dislike �bargaining, negotiation and compromise� Examples NRA NARAL

8. Resources of IGs Size � number of members Money & funding Strategic position Organization and communication Intensity of interests Access to information Leadership

9. Strategies and Tactics Lobbying Grass roots mobilization Measure public opinion Build coalitions Litigation Influence elections � endorsements, PACs Rate voting records of legislators

10. IGs and Democracy � 3 concerns First, How representative? Group Theory Assumptions � Pluralism � Bentley, Truman Compete � no group dominant Play by �rules of game� Weak in one resource, can use another Public interest emerges from group struggle � bargaining, negotiating, and compromise � reach equilibrium point Government as referee, ratifier

11. How representative? But, not all interests have groups and not all groups are equal �Flaw in the pluralist heaven is that the heavenly choir sings with an upper class accent.� E.E. Schattschneider

12. Second Concern Fragmentation Narrowing of body politic Promote development of �iron triangles� Interest group Congressional committee/subcommittee Bureaucratic agency Specialization � issue networks & policy communities Social capital � Putnam�s �bowling alone�

13. Third concern Ethics and First Amendment $$ - disclosure vs. restriction, regulation Registering and reporting requirements Influence � can IG�s buy votes? Insiders/Outsiders � employment after govt. service