Interest Groups

Interest Groups Definition: group with common interest that seeks to influence government. Interest groups pursue their goals in many different areas Madison’s dilemma: wanting both liberty and order Factions were inevitable—need to control their effects Pluralism: How might interest groups fit into a pluralist theory of democracy? growth of interest groups prevents the concentration of excessive power in the hands of few, and thus enhances democracy

Reasons for growth of interest groups Americans have a propensity to join groups Changes in lobbying Reaction from conservatives to liberal activism Economic developments Gov’t policy and growth of bureaucracy Interest groups beget interest groups Diversity of population Technology Diffusion of power in gov’t Weakness of political parties

Types of Interest Groups

Types of Interest Groups Your textbook categorizes by issue (ie—environmental, business, labor, equality) We will sort as Traditional Nontraditional Single-issue Public interest Ideological Governmental PAC’s

Traditional interest groups Goal: promote economic interests of its members Types: Agricultural—Grange, American Farm Bureau Federation Labor—AFL-CIO, UAW, Teamsters Business—Chamber of Commerce, National Assn. of Manufacturers Professional—AMA, ABA

Nontraditional/protest interest groups Goal: to protest the status of its members and to convince gov’t to take remedial action Examples: NAACP MALDEF NOW

Single issue interest groups Goal: to get gov’t action on one overriding issue Examples: Right to Life League National Abortion Rights Action League NRA MADD PETA AIPAC

Public interest interest groups Goal: to bring about good policy for society as a whole Examples: Common Cause Public Citizen League of Women’s Voters Sierra Club/Greenpeace 501(c)(3) groups: American Cancer Society, Girl Scouts

Ideological interest groups Goal: to convince gov’t to implement policies that are consistent with their philosophies Examples: Christian Coalition ACLU American Conservative Union “think tanks”—Brookings Institute, Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute

Warm up questions What is the primary goal of an interest group? Why have the existence of interest groups grown so dramatically in gov’t? Name 3 types of interest groups, the goal of the group, and an example for each.

Tactics of Interest Groups

Tactics Lobbying—influence peddling Boycotting Litigation Revolving door Amicus curiae briefs Electioneering Initiative/referendum at state level Campaign contributions via PAC’s Endorsement of candidates “Targeting” of unfriendly candidates Going public

Lobbying Attempting to influence the gov’t—most effective on narrow, technical issues that aren’t well publicized Functions of lobbyists: Provide information Testify at hearings Help write legislation Regulations require registration & disclosure. Limits on gifts

Case against lobbyists Case for lobbyists Case against lobbyists Provide useful information to gov’t Means of participation for people Linking mechanism 1st amendment Rich & powerful interests are over-represented Single issue lobby adds to polarization Lobbies make it more difficult for gov’t to get things done Clip

Reasons for joining interest groups Irrationality of joining Single person wont make much of a difference Person will probably receive benefits from the group anyway “Free Rider” problem Incentives Material benefits Purposive benefits Solidary benefits

Factors influencing strength Size More members= more money, more votes But more members also mean less focus Spread: concentrated or dispersed? Cohesiveness: degree to which members are committed to “the cause” Organizational structure Leadership Resources: money, expertise, reputation, connections

Iron Triangle System of sub-governments (“iron triangles”) to protect interests Cause of hyper-pluralism?