“Man is by nature a political animal.” - Aristotle

2. “Man is by nature a political animal.” - Aristotle “In no country in the world has the principle of association been more successfully used… than in America.” ALEXIS DE TOQUEVILLE, DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA James Madison, Federalist 10: Factions are inevitable but a large republic best controls them.

3. The Role of Interest Groups • Interest group • An organization of people with shared policy goals that try to influence the political process to achieve those goals • More than 100,000 in U.S. today • What are the 3 characteristics? • Shared interests and goals • Organized structure • Want to influence policy • Lobbyists hired and PACs formed

4. The Role of Interest Groups • Why are there so many in the U.S.? • The more religious, cultural, and regional lines in society, the greater the variety of interests that will exist. • American constitutional system allows for a federal, decentralized system which creates multiple points groups can access the gov’t • Right to join a group is protected by the 1st amendment • Often spawned by social movements (women’s rights, civil rights, immigrants, etc.) • Single-issue interest groups are generally more effective than multi-issue groups -Why? • Who joins interest groups? • Usually higher income • Usually higher education level

5. Incentives to join: • Solidarity: Sense of status, pleasure, companionship that arises out of meeting together in small groups. Face-to-face contact important, so organize in small local groups = League of Women Voters, PTA, Rotary Club • Activities of interest groups at state levels have been growing much faster than at the national level • Material: Receive money or other valued group or service from membership = AARP supply low cost insurance, discount drugs, travel • Purposeful: A reason for supporting group activities based on agreement with the goals of the group • Occupy, Abortion, Gun control, Environment

6. POLITICAL PARTIES ARE NOT INTEREST GROUPS!

7. Interest Groups vs. Political Parties • Interest groups are distinct from parties – how? • Political parties fight election battles – they try to get candidates elected to office • Interest groups try to influence public policy but do not run candidates for office; they don’t have to try to appeal to everyone • Which one is a policy specialist? • Interest groups • Political parties are policy generalists.

8. INTEREST GROUPS - NARROW FOCUS - POLICY FOCUS - IDEOLOGICAL POLITICAL PARTIES - BROAD FOCUS - ELECTION FOCUS - MAINSTREAM

9. SIMILARITIES - SELF-INTERESTED - FACTIONS (REMEMBER FEDERALIST 10?) - SUPPLEMENT & USE EACH OTHER - RAISE AWARENESS, RECRUIT, $$$, & EDUCATE - FORM OF POLITICAL PARTICIPATION

10. Theories of Interest Group Politics • Pluralist Theory • Politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies; all get voices heard – a good thing. • Elite Theory • Societies are divided along class lines and an upper-class elite rules, regardless of the formal niceties of governmental organization. • Hyperpluralist Theory • Groups are so strong that government is weakened by trying to please all. This is an extreme, exaggerated form of pluralism.

11. Theories of Interest Group Politics • Pluralism and Group Theory • Groups provide a key link between the people and the government – provides representation to all. • Groups compete and no one group will become too dominant – they counterbalance each other. • Groups play by the “rules of the game.” • Groups weak in one resource may use another. • Lobbying is open to all so is not a problem that some groups may be stronger.

12. Theories of Interest Group Politics: • Elites and the Denial of Pluralism • - Real power is held by the relatively few - majority of public in recent years seems to agree • with this view. • - The largest corporations hold the most power. • - Elite power is fortified by a system of interlocking directorates of these corporations and other institutions. • - Other groups may win many minor policy battles, but elites prevail on big policy decisions. • - Lobbying is a problem because it benefits the few at the expense of the many.

13. Theories of Interest Group Politics: Hyperpluralism • The Hyperpluralist critique • Groups have become too powerful as the government tries to appease every interest – too many groups are getting too much. • Trying to please all results in contradictory policies. • “Interest group liberalism” – government tries to appease all, government agencies grow & prosper, conflicting regulations expand, programs multiply & the budget skyrockets! • Many subgovernments (iron triangles) aggravate the process. • Subgovernments – a/k/a iron triangles • Networks of groups that exercise a great deal of control over specific policy areas. • Consist of interest groups, government agency, and congressional committees that handle particular policies

14. “IRON TRIANGLE” OR “SUB-GOVERNMENTS”

15. What Makes an Interest Group Successful?

16. What Makes an Interest Group Successful? Money, size, leadership, cohesiveness, ability to rally support • MONEY! • Not all groups have equal amounts of money. • Political Action Committees (PACs) • Big money associations (AMA, ABA, etc.) • Monetary donations usually translate into access to the politicians, such as a phone call, meeting, or support for policy. • Wealthier groups have more resources—and presumably more access—but they do not always win on policy.

17. What Makes an Interest Group Successful? • SIZE • The Surprising Ineffectiveness of Large Groups • Potential group:all the people who might be interest group members because they share a common interest (AARP-all retired persons) • Actual group:the part of the potential group consisting of members who actually join (AARP-only those who join & pay dues) • Collective good:something of value that cannot be withheld from a group member (clean air, higher minimum wage, etc.)

18. What Makes an Interest Group Successful? • Free-Rider Problem • Some people don’t join interest groups because they benefit from the group’s activities without officially joining. • Bigger the group, larger the problem • Large groups are difficult to organize • Olson’s law of large groups: • “The larger the group, the further it will fall short of providing an optimal amount of a collective good.” • Overcome Olson’s law by providing selective benefits: Goods that a group can restrict to those who pay their annual dues – e.g., AARP

19. Selective Benefits of AARP: • Information publications, travel discounts, group insurance rates, etc. • Not an actual member, don’t get the benefits

20. What Makes an Interest Group Successful? • ORGANIZATIONAL FEATURES: • Small groups are better organized and more focused on the group’s goals. • Multinational corporations are successful because there are few of them and, therefore, have an easier time organizing for political action. • Consumer groups have a difficult time getting significant policy gains because the benefits are spread over the entire population. • Leadership – goes a long way! • Charlton Heston - NRA • Actor identifiable with powerful roles

21. What Makes an Interest Group Successful? • Intensity!!! (Cohesiveness) • How quickly can the group rally support? • Single-Issue groups are more successful: groups that focus on a narrow interest, dislike compromise, and often draw membership from people new to politics • Groups may focus on an emotional issue, providing them with a psychological advantage --- e.g., NOW. • Intensity encourages non-conventional means of participation, i.e.—protests---ABORTION! -- PETA

22. The Interest Group Explosion

23. How Groups Try to Shape Policy • Note: their success may be in blocking policy rather than actually persuading Congress to pass policy • The key to success isACCESSto government officials! • Interest groups provide gov’t officials with sources of info and assistance • Gov’t officials provide interest groups with opportunities to express their views • Work to cultivate longterm relationships with government officials.

24. How Groups Try to Shape Policy • DIRECT TECHNIQUES: • Lobbying, publicizing ratings of political behavior, building coalitions, providing campaign assistance. • #1 - Lobbying • Lobbyists are political persuaders who represent organized groups –they provide info to Congress! • Origin of term? • Two basic types of lobbyists: • Full-time, paid employees of a group • Temporary hires • Two types of lobbying: • Direct – overtly trying to influence policy choices; very effective – minimizes understanding • Indirect – trying to influence a 3rd party or the general public to adopt the group’s position

27. Roles/Methods of Lobbyists: • Groups maintain offices near the Capitol • Some common lobbying activities: • Gain Access - Private meetings with officials • Testifying before Congress and Executive Branch agencies: (they’re policy specialists!)

28. Lobbying Congressional aides and staff • Can be most lucrative • Lobbyists are regulated – they have to register with Congress and disclose fees. • Protest and civil disobedience are also methods used.

29. Lobbyists also assist in drafting legislation • Lobbyists assist Congressmen by providing information, political and campaign strategy, supplying nominations for federal appointments in the Executive Branch and serving as a source of new ideas and innovation. • They also rate legislators in how well they do in passing and implementing policy favorable to the interest group.

30. How Groups Shape Policy#2 – Electioneering • Endorsing candidates • $ and group support for candidates • Getting the right people into office and/or keeping them there is key strategy of sigs • Groups form PACs to give $ • 608 IN 1974 - 3,877 IN 2008 • In recent elections, nearly half of House of Reps got majority of their campaign funds from PACs • PACs give heavily to incumbents- WHY? • PACs (legal under the Federal Elections Campaign Act) can give $5,000 to each candidate in a primary or a general election

31. How Groups Shape Policy#3 – Litigation • If legislative efforts fail, go to the Courts • Environmental groups have had much success this way • Clean Air Act, etc. • Most famous use of litigation? • CIVIL RIGHTS – Brown, etc. • Groups also write “amicus curiae” (friend of the court) briefs • Written arguments by non-partiesto the case to support one side of a case • Also, groups file class action lawsuits • Allows a group of similarly situated plaintiffs to combine similar grievances into a single lawsuit • Very effective way to remedy mass wrongs

32. How Groups Shape Public Policy#4 – Going Public (Indirect Technique) • Groups make a direct appeal to public opinion to help their cause • Groups consistently work on their public relations image • Methods of appealing to public opinion: • running advertisements, polls, phone, maintaining a web site

33. Types of Interest Groups • ECONOMIC INTERESTS • Most prolific type • Labor – AFL-CIO! • Agriculture • Business • Professionals • ENVIRONMENTAL INTERESTS • EQUALITY INTERESTS • CONSUMER AND PUBLIC INTEREST LOBBIES • Ralph Nader – Consumer Reports! • Public Interest lobbies seek collective goods and services

34. INTEREST GROUPS Chapter 11