“In no country in the world
has the principle of
association been more
successfully used…
than in America.”
James Madison,
Federalist 10:
Factions are inevitable but a
large republic best controls them.
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?
1. Shared interests and goals
2. Organized structure
3. Want to influence policy
• Lobbyists hired and PACs formed
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 that
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
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
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.
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 upperclass 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.
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.
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.
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
“IRON TRIANGLE” OR
“SUB-GOVERNMENTS”
What Makes an Interest
Group Successful?
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.
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.)
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
Selective Benefits of AARP:
Information
publications, travel discounts, group
insurance rates, etc.
Not an actual member, don’t get the benefits
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
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
The Interest Group Explosion
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 is ACCESS to 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 long-term relationships with
government officials.
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
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!)
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.
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.
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
How Groups Shape Policy
#3 – Litigation
If legislative efforts fail, go to the Courts
Environmental groups have had much success this way
Most famous use of litigation?
CIVIL RIGHTS – Brown, etc.
Groups also write “amicus curiae” (friend of the court)
briefs
Clean Air Act, etc.
Written arguments by non-parties to 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
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
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
INTEREST
GROUPS
Chapter 11