1. Interest Groups Chapter 11

2. Characteristics  Interest groups is a linkage group that is a public or private organization, affiliation, or committee  Its goal is the dissemination (broadcast) of its membership’s viewpoint  Result will be persuading public policymakers to respond to the group’s perspective

3. Characteristics  Interest groups and political parties are both characterized by group identification and group affiliation.  Differ in the fact that interest groups do not nominate candidates for political office.  Their function is to influence officeholders rather than end up as elected officials.

4. Characteristics  Interest groups provide a great deal of specialized information to legislators.  Advocates claim they provide an additional check and balance.  Critics say they are partly responsible for gridlock in government.

5. Characteristics  Once formed, group has internal functions such as attracting and keeping a viable membership.  Groups accomplish this by making promises that they will be able to succeed in their political goals (which will benefit political, economic, and social needs of its members).  Example: People want stricter laws against drunk driving join Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), feel a political and social sense of accomplishment when federal law dictates a national minimum drinking age in return for federal aid to states for highway construction.

6. Vocabulary  Campaign finance reform -Hyperpluralism  Elite and class theory -Interest group  Faction -Lobbyists  Freedom of Information Act -PACs  Hard money -Soft money

7. Group Theory  Nature of group membership is not representative of the population as a whole  The group theory of modern government encourages the development of special interest groups.  Many groups have as their members people with higher income and education; balanced by groups that represent unions and blue collar

8. Group Theory  3 potential kinds of group activity (review): pluralist, hyperpluralist, and elite.  Pluralism suggest a centrist position results because there is a more far-reaching and balancing group representation.  Elite defines group behavior as deriving from an upper class (some interest groups are elitist in nature).  Hyperpluralism is basically the same theory with different perspective. They believe the groups are too strong and they suppress the power of the government.