1. Interest Groups Vocabulary

2. The tendency to form small-scale associations for the public good
Vocabulary
Social Capital
Cooperative relationships that facilitate the resolution of collective problems.
Civic Virtue
The tendency to form small-scale associations for the public good
Interest Group
A collection of people or organizations that tries to influence public policy.
Pluralist Theory
The theory that political power is distributed among a wide array of diverse and competing interest groups.
Distribution Theory
The theory that interest groups form as a result of changes in the political system.
Transaction Theory
The theory that public policies are the result of narrowly defined exchanges among political actors.

3. Population Ecology Theory
Vocabulary
Collective Good
Something of value that cannot be withheld from a nonmember of a group, for example, a tax write-off or a better environment.
Population Ecology Theory
The theory that the formation of political organizations is conditional on the resources allocated to a given issue area.
Public Interest Group
An organization that seeks a collective good that will not selectively and materially benefit group members.
Economic Interest Group
A group with the primary purpose of promoting the financial interests of its members.
Earmark
Funds that an appropriations bill designates for specific projects within a state or congressional district.
PAC
Officially registered fund-raising organization that represents interest groups in the political process.

4. A group that represents a specific industry.
Vocabulary
Lobbyist
Interest group representative who seeks to influence legislation that will benefit his or her organization or client through political and/or financial persuasion.
Trade Association
A group that represents a specific industry.
Lobbying
The activities of a group or organization that seek to persuade political leaders to support the group’s position.
Patron
A person who finances a group or individual activity.
Free Rider Problem
Potential members fail to join a group because they can get the benefit, or collective good, sought by the group without contributing the effort.
Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007
Lobbying reform banning gifts to members of Congress and their staffs, toughening disclosure requirements, and increasing time limits on
moving from the federal government to the private sector.