UBC POLI 101 Canadian Politics Group Politics http://www.politics.ubc.ca/fcutler/teaching/POLI101

Midterm The big points of the course, not little stuff No point form answers, but no need to link sentences together really smoothly Please arrive early, take a seat, and put your stuff away Sit by TA: Broadhead in the back four rows Owen in the middle four rows Rickey in the front four rows Please write your TA’s name on your answer book They’ll be returned in tutorial

Interest (or Pressure) Groups Definition: Organizations whose members act together, attempting to influence public policy in order to promote their common interest. institutional groups stable; organizationally developed; significant resources & personnel focused on broad agenda of issues Cultivate relationships with officials e.g. business groups, trade unions special issue groups focused on single set of issues, often outsiders fewer resources other than volunteers more willing to exercise pressure through mobilization of public opinion e.g., women’s groups, environmentalists

Development functional versus spatial representation But… all groups face a Collective Action Problem federalism & shared jurisdiction multiplies veto points; gives leverage over gov’ts dependent on particular resource; federalizes group organization Parliamentary system produces concentration of power; premium on access to cabinet ministers & officials; less concern for access to MPs Charter of Rights establishes rights of individuals vis-à-vis gov’ts giving groups leverage via legal system

Functions communication, legitimation, administration, regulation communicate concerns & provide information convince public & policy-makers of need for policy changes e.g. BC teachers advertising during Olympics! Not Cheap! supplementary role in provision of social services formal regulatory powers for professional groups: engineers, lawyers, doctors, accountants response to bureaucratic needs delivery of services requires talking to special publics receiving services information needs legitimacy needs So these groups are an indispensable part of the policy process Not only that, their existence shapes the policy agenda Think of what groups involved on the homelessness issue: cities? churches? but homeless people can’t organize!

Policy Communities development of policy communities specialization occurs throughout policy making system groupings of government agencies, pressure groups, media people, academics who have an interest in a particular policy field and attempt to influence it core consisting of gov’t agencies most directly involved in setting policy & regulating a field together with small group of interests whose power requires them to be consulted e.g., broadcasting, publishing, fish processing symbiotic relationship Specialized knowledge/skills to do this, so professional lobbying firms Democratic problem if gov’t (or parties) and groups get too cosy? Lobbying out of control in the USA?

Interest Group Tactics protest presentations to hearings/committees litigation (against or with government) lobbying politicians contacting officials participation in policy decision-making donations to parties

Registering Lobbyists Lobbyists’ Registration Act (1996) The Act provides for the public registration of those individuals who are paid to communicate with federal public office holders in attempts to influence government decisions, i.e. lobby Public office holders are persons occupying an elected or appointed position in the federal government Principles of Lobbyists’ Registration Act free and open access to government is a matter of public interest lobbying public office holders is a legitimate activity it is desirable that public office holders and the general public be able to know who is attempting to influence government the system for the registration of paid lobbyists should not impede free and open access to government Why? To make these connections more transparent… competition among groups should lead to whistle-blowing if there’s real bias in the policy process e.g. Non-Smoker’s Rights Association vs. Canadian Tobacco Manufacturers’ Council

Canadian examples Business groups New social movement groups Business Council on National Issues (BCNI) Canadian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (CPMA) National Golf Course Owners’ Association New social movement groups Canadian Ethnocultural Council (CEC) National Advisory Committee on the Status of Women (NAC) Assembly of First Nations Greenpeace Miscellaneous Canadian Noise Pollution activists Consumers’ Association of Canada

Top 20 Subjects of Lobbying Industry Taxation and finance International trade Environment Science and technology Transportation Consumer issues Health Employment and training Internal trade Energy Government procurement Regional development International relations Intellectual property Labour Agriculture Financial institutions Telecommunications Small business

Interest Groups and Democracy Pluralist Theory: all interests get represented through membership in groups – political function is to balance all of the interests communicated by these groups Privileged access to government? Yes, but… registration of lobbyists since 1988 publication of political contributions Essential representational role in modern bureaucratic state? Fragmentation of political community? Money = Power? Equality of Access? Voice and Equality Groups depend on money. More Money = more chance to influence But ultimately, group influence can’t conflict too much with public opinion

Some Interest Group Web Sites National Citizens Coalition: http://www.citizenscoalition.org Council of Canadians: http://www.canadians.org Assembly of First Nations: http://www.afn.ca Greenpeace: http://www.greenpeacecanada.org Canadian Labour Congress: http://www.clc-ctc.com Canadian Federation of Students: http://www.cfs-fcee.ca Business Council on National Issues: http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/SSG/mi00605e.html Canadian Women’s Internet Association’s Advocacy Page: http://www.women.ca/advocacy.html Noise Group Canadian Federation of Students Canadian Association of University Teachers