1. Interest Groups
Part I: Theory

2. Constitutional roots
Congress shall make no law…abridging …the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
--First Amendment

3. Interest Groups
Definition: groups that have organized to promote a political agenda.

4. Freewrite
What are your impressions of interest groups? Where do those impressions come from?
Do you think the system fair to all groups, or do some groups have a disproportionate say over public policy? Why do you think that is the case?

5. Examples of interest groups?
American Civil Liberties Union
The Christian Coalition
National Rifle Association
National Organization for Women
The Sierra Club
A.A.R.P. (American Association of Retired Persons)
National Right to Life Committee
National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League
The Concord Coalition
The Federalist Society
American Association of Manufacturers
Pharmalogical Manufacturers Association of America

6. Groups: a theoretical perspective
Collective goods and free rider problems
What makes it easier to form a group?
Size, homogeneity, cost
How do large groups form?

7. Selective incentives
A selective incentive (either negative or positive) applies selectively to individuals depending on whether or not they contribute to the provision of the collective good.

8. Pluralism Groups can form freely
Any potential group can form if its interests are at stake
All groups’ interests will be fairly represented
No one group will dominate all the time