Chapter 11: Interest Groups The Role of Interest Groups Theories of Interest Group Politics What Makes an Interest Group Successful How Groups Try to Shape Policy Types of Interest Groups Understanding Interest Groups Summary
Chapter Outline and Learning Objectives The Role of Interest Groups LO 11.1: Describe the role of interest groups in American politics. Theories of Interest Group Politics LO 11.2: Compare and contrast the theories of pluralism, elitism, and hyperpluralism.
Chapter Outline and Learning Objectives What Makes an Interest Group Successful LO 11.3: Analyze the factors that make some interest groups more successful than others in the political arena. How Groups Try to Shape Policy LO 11.4: Assess the four basic strategies that interest groups use to try to shape policy.
Chapter Outline and Learning Objectives Types of Interest Groups LO 11.5: Identify the various types of interest groups and their policy concerns. Understanding Interest Groups LO 11.6: Evaluate how well Madison s ideas for controlling the influence of interest groups have worked in practice.
The Role of Interest Groups LO 11.1: Describe the role of interest groups in American politics. Interest Group An organization of people with shared policy goals entering the policy process at several points to try to achieve those goals. Interest groups pursue their goals in many arenas.
The Role of Interest Groups LO 11.1 Interest groups are distinct from political parties. Political parties fight election battles; interest groups do not field candidates for office but may choose sides. Interest groups are policy specialists; political parties are policy generalists.
Theories of Interest Group Politics LO 11.2: Compare and contrast the theories of pluralism, elitism, and hyperpluralism. Pluralism Elitism Hyperpluralism
Theories of Interest Group Politics LO 11.2 Pluralist Theory Competition among groups trying to get their preferred policies. Elite Theory Upper-class elite holds most of the power and run government. Hyperpluralist Theory Groups are so strong that government is weakened.
Theories of Interest Group Politics LO 11.2 Pluralism Groups provide a link between the people and the government. Groups compete and no one group will become too dominant. Groups play by rules the game. Groups weak in one resource may use another. Lobbying is open to all groups.
Theories of Interest Group Politics LO 11.2 Elitism Groups are unequal in power. Awesome power is held by the largest corporations. Power of a few is fortified by interlocking directorates. Other groups win minor policy battles, but corporate elites win the big decisions.
LO 11.2
Theories of Interest Group Politics LO 11.2 Hyperpluralism Groups have become too powerful as government tries to appease every conceivable interest. Interest group liberalism is aggravated by numerous iron triangles. Trying to please every group results in contradictory and confusing policy.
What Makes an Interest Group Successful LO 11.3: Analyze the factors that make some interest groups more successful than others in the political arena. The Surprising Ineffectiveness of Large Groups Intensity Financial Resources
LO 11.3
What Makes an Interest Group Successful LO 11.3 Surprising Ineffectiveness of Large Groups Potential group People who might be group members because they share some common interest. Actual group Potential group members who actually join group. Collective good Something of value that cannot be withheld from a potential group member.
What Makes an Interest Group Successful LO 11.3 Surprising Ineffectiveness of Large Groups (cont.) Free-rider problem Problem of people not joining because they can benefit from the group s activities without joining. Selective benefits Goods that a group can restrict to those who actually join.
LO 11.3
What Makes an Interest Group Successful LO 11.3 Intensity A large potential group may be mobilized through an issue that people feel intensely about. Politicians are more likely to listen a group that shows it cares deeply about an issue. Single-issue groups Narrow interest, dislike compromise, and members are new to politics.
What Makes an Interest Group Successful LO 11.3 Financial Resources Not all groups have equal amounts of money. Monetary donations translate into access to the politicians, such as a phone call, meeting, or support for policy. Wealthier groups have more resources and access, but they do not always win on policy.
How Groups Try to Shape Policy LO 11.4: Assess the four basic strategies that interest groups use to try to shape policy. Lobbying Electioneering Litigation Going Public
How Groups Try to Shape Policy LO 11.4 Lobbying Communication to a governmental decision maker with the hope of influencing his or her decision. Lobbyists are (1) a source of information; (2) helping to get legislation passed; (3) helping to formulate campaign strategy; and (4) a source of ideas and innovations.
LO 11.4
LO 11.4
How Groups Try to Shape Policy LO 11.4 Electioneering Direct group involvement in the electoral process by helping to fund campaigns, getting members to work for candidates, and forming political action committees (PACs). PACs are political funding vehicles created by the 1974 campaign finance reforms.
How Groups Try to Shape Policy LO 11.4 Litigation Amicus curiae briefs Written arguments submitted to the courts in support of one side of a case. Class action lawsuits Enable a group of people in a similar situation to combine their common grievances into a single suit.
How Groups Try to Shape Policy LO 11.4 Going Public Groups try to (1) cultivate a good public image; (2) build a reservoir of goodwill with the public; (3) use marketing strategies to influence public opinion of the group and its issues; and (4) advertise to motivate and inform the public about an issue.
LO 11.4
Types of Interest Groups LO 11.5: Identify the various types of interest groups and their policy concerns. Economic Interests Environmental Interests Equality Interests Consumer and Other Public Interest Lobbies
Types of Interest Groups LO 11.5 Economic Interests Labor Union organizations press for policies to ensure better working conditions and higher wages. Business Interests generally unified when it comes to promoting greater profits but are often fragmented when policy choices have to be made.
LO 11.5
LO 11.5
Types of Interest Groups LO 11.5 Environmental Interests Environmental groups promote policies to control pollution and to combat global warming, wilderness protection, and species preservation. They oppose supersonic aircraft, nuclear power plants, drilling in Alaska s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and strip mining.
LO 11.5
Types of Interest Groups LO 11.5 Equality Interests Two sets of interest groups, representing minorities and women, have made equal rights their main policy goal. Equality groups press for equality at the polls, in housing, on the job, in education, and in all other facets of American life.
Types of Interest Groups LO 11.5 Consumer and Other Public Interest Lobbies Public interest lobbies Groups that seek a collective good, and the achievement of which will not selectively and materially benefit the membership or activists of the organization.
Types of Interest Groups LO 11.5 Consumer and Other Public Interest Lobbies (cont.) Consumer groups In 1973, Congress responded to consumer advocacy by creating the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which it authorized to regulate all consumer products and to ban products that were dangerous.
Understanding Interest Groups LO 11.6: Evaluate how well Madison s ideas for controlling the influence of interest groups have worked in practice. Interest Groups and Democracy Interest Groups and the Scope of Government
Understanding Interest Groups LO 11.6 Interest Groups and Democracy James Madison wanted a wide-open system in which groups compete. Pluralists Public interest prevails from this competition. Elite theorists Proliferation of business PACs is evidence of interest group corruption. Hyperpluralists Influence of groups lead to policy gridlock.
Understanding Interest Groups LO 11.6 Interest Groups and the Scope of Government Interest groups seek to maintain policies and programs that benefit them. Interest groups pressure government to do more things. As the government does more, more groups form to get more.
LO 11.1 Summary The Role of Interest Groups Interest groups consist of groups that participate in the political process in order to promote the policy goals which members share. They usually focus their efforts on one specific issue area, unlike political parties, which have to address all issues on the public agenda.
Interest groups are often policy. LO 11.1 A. specialists B. generalists C. regulators D. implementors
Interest groups are often policy. LO 11.1 A. specialists B. generalists C. regulators D. implementors
LO 11.2 Summary Theories of Interest Group Politics The theory of pluralism asserts that the policymaking process is very open to the participation of all interest groups, with no single group usually dominating. Pluralists tend to believe that as a result the public interest generally prevails.
LO 11.2 Summary Theories of Interest Group Politics (cont.) Elitism contends that an upper-class elite holds the power and makes policy, regardless of the formal governmental organization. Hyperpluralism So many groups are so strong, that government is weakened and its ability to make effective policy is crippled.
Which of the following is NOT an element of the pluralist group theory of politics? LO 11.2 A. Groups provide a crucial link between people and government. B. Groups usually follow the rules of the game. C. Groups compete with each other. D. Groups become too dominant.
LO 11.2 Which of the following is NOT an element of the pluralist group theory of politics? A. Groups provide a crucial link between people and government. B. Groups usually follow the rules of the game. C. Groups compete with each other. D. Groups become too dominant.
LO 11.3 Summary What Makes an Interest Group Successful Groups that have large numbers of potential members are usually less effective than groups that have a smaller potential membership, because it is easier to mobilize members of a smaller group, who have more incentive to participate.
LO 11.3 Summary What Makes an Interest Group Successful (cont.) Both large and small groups can benefit from the intensity of their members beliefs. Money always helps lubricate the wheels of power, though it is hardly a surefire guarantee of success.
The more a group has, the more successful it tends to be. LO 11.3 A. intensity B. financial resources C. potential members D. all of the above
The more a group has, the more successful it tends to be. LO 11.3 A. intensity B. financial resources C. potential members D. all of the above
LO 11.4 Summary How Groups Try to Shape Policy Lobbying is one group strategy and lobbyists are most effective with those legislators already sympathetic to their side. Electioneering becomes critical because it helps put supportive people in office.
LO 11.4 Summary How Groups Try to Shape Policy (cont.) Groups operate in the judicial as well as the legislative process, using litigation in the courts when lobbying fails or is not enough. Many groups project a good image, employing public relations techniques to present themselves in the most favorable light.
Which of the following is NOT a tactic interest groups use? LO 11.4 A. Lobbying to influence policy. B. Forming political action committees to influence elections. C. Fielding candidates for office in general elections. D. Litigating to influence policy through the courts.
Which of the following is NOT a tactic interest groups use? LO 11.4 A. Lobbying to influence policy. B. Forming political action committees to influence elections. C. Fielding candidates for office in general elections. D. Litigating to influence policy through the courts.
LO 11.5 Summary Types of Interest Groups Economic interest groups involve business and labor, with business focusing on governmental regulations and subsidies and labor focusing on policies to ensure good working conditions and wages. Environmental interests are global warming, pollution, wilderness protection, and endangered species.
LO 11.5 Summary Types of Interest Groups (cont.) Equality interest groups promote the fair treatment of groups that have been discriminated against in the past, such as African Americans and women. Public interest lobbies pursue policy objectives that they believe will benefit all citizens, such as consumer protection laws.
LO 11.5 Which of the following type of interest group tends to push for a collective good? A. Consumer groups B. Environmental groups C. Equality groups D. All of the above
LO 11.5 Which of the following type of interest group tends to push for a collective good? A. Consumer groups B. Environmental groups C. Equality groups D. All of the above
LO 11.6 Summary Understanding Interest Groups The issue of controlling interest groups remains as crucial to democracy today as it was in James Madison s time. Some scholars (Pluralist Theory) believe that the growth of interest groups has worked to divide political influence, just as Madison hoped it would.
LO 11.6 Summary Understanding Interest Groups (cont.) Critics of the Pluralist Theory (Elite Theory and Hyperpluralist Theory) focus on the political action committee (PAC) system as the new way in which special interests corrupt American democracy, or on the problem of too many groups having too much power to block policy change.
Which theory of interest group politics best correlates with Madison s ideas for controlling interest groups? LO 11.6 A. Hyperpluralist Theory B. Elite Theory C. Pluralist Theory D. Class Theory
Which theory of interest group politics best correlates with Madison s ideas for controlling interest groups? LO 11.6 A. Hyperpluralist Theory B. Elite Theory C. Pluralist Theory D. Class Theory
Text Credits Quote from Americans Against Food Taxes ad used with permission. The Power 25 from Fortune, May 28, 2001, Time Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission and protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States. The printing, copying, redistribution, or retransmission of the Material without express written permission is prohibited. Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2010, Table 650, http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2010/tables/10s0650.pdf. Federal Election Commission.
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