Post on 04-Jan-2016
transcript
10
Interest Groups
Interest Groups
“Americans of all ages, all conditions, and all dispositions constantly form associations.” - Alexis de Tocqueville
Americans are more likely than citizens of other countries to participate in a civic association or community service group.
Americans are more likely than others to have worked with a group to express a political view.
10
Interest Groups
Are interest groups factions?
10
Role of Interest Groups 10.1
Role of Interest Groups
Interest group An organization of people with shared policy goals
entering the policy process at several points to try to achieve those goals. Interest groups pursue their goals in many arenas.
Policy failure in one area means trying it in another
Different from political parties Do not run candidates Policy specialists, not generalists
10.1
Role of Interest Groups
25,000 interest groups
Technology aids lobbying
10.1
Theories of Interest Group Politics
10.2
Pluralism Pluralism
A theory of government and politics emphasizing that many groups, each pressing for its preferred policies, compete and counterbalance one another in the political marketplace.
Group theory of politics Groups link people and government Groups compete No one group likely to become dominant Groups play by the rules of the game Groups weak in one resource can use another
Concessions Some groups stronger than others All interests do not get equal hearing
10.2
Elitism
Elitism A theory of government and politics emphasizing that many groups, each
pressing for its preferred policies, compete and counterbalance one another in the political marketplace.
78% of Americans share this view
Interlocking directorates
Multinational corporations
Lobbying benefits the few at the expense of the many
10.2
Hyperpluralism
Elitism A theory of government and politics contending that
groups are so strong that government, seeking to please them all, is thereby weakened.
Interest group liberalism Groups out of control Government tries to appease all of them Budgets, programs, regulations expand
10.2
Hyperpluralism
Iron triangles Subgovernments are composed of interest group leaders
interested in a particular policy, the government agency in charge of administering that policy, and the members of committees and subcommittees handling that policy; they exercise a great deal of control over specific policy areas.
Contradictory and confusing policy results
10.2
What Makes an Interest Group Successful?
10.3
What Makes an Interest Group Successful?
Surprising Ineffectiveness of Large Groups
Intensity
Financial Resources
10.3
Smaller groups have advantage Potential group - All the people who might be interest group members because
they share some common interest. Actual group - The people in the potential group who actually join. Collective good - Something of value that cannot be withheld from a potential
group member. Free-rider problem - For a group, the problem of people not joining because
they can benefit form the group’s activities without joining.
Selective benefits
Surprising Ineffectiveness of Large Groups
10.3
Selective benefits Goods that a group can restrict to those who actually
join.
This can encourage potential members to become actual members
Surprising Ineffectiveness of Large Groups
10.3
Intensity
Psychological advantage
Helps preserve the status quo
Single-issue groups Groups that have a narrow interest, tend to dislike compromise,
and often draw membership from people new to politics.
10.3
Financial Resources
System is biased toward wealthy 2008 federal elections cost $5 billion Donations lead to access
But $$$ does not always lead to lobbying success Other side contributes, too
10.3
How Groups Try to Shape Policy
10.4
Lobbying
Lobbying According to Lester Milbrath, a “communication, by someone
other than a citizen acting on his or her own behalf, directed to a government decision maker with the hope of influencing his or her decision.” Temporary employee
Two types of lobbyists Full-time employee Temporary employee Often former legislators
10.4
Lobbying
Ways lobbyists help Provide information Help politicians with political strategy for getting
legislation through Help formulate campaign strategy and get the group’s
members behind a politician’s reelection campaign A source of ideas and innovations
10.4
FIGURE 10.1: Industries’ big spenders on lobbying, 2009-2011
10.4
Electioneering
Electioneering Direct group involvement in the electoral process, for example, by
helping to fund campaigns, getting members to work for candidates, and forming political action committees.
Aiding candidates financially
Getting out the vote
PACs $5,000 limit in primary and general election Mainly support incumbents
10.4
Litigation
Suing for enforcement Environmental regulations Civil rights groups – 1950s
Amicus curiae briefs
Class action lawsuits
10.4
Going Public
Public opinion influences policy makers
Mobilize public opinion
Public relations
10.4
Interest group ad 10.4
Types of Interest Groups 10.5
Economic Interests
Labor Unions Goal is to get better working conditions and higher
wages Declining in membership due to international
competition and better non-unionized jobs
10.5
Economic Interests
Union shop A provision found in some collective bargaining agreements
requiring all employees of a business to join the union within a short period, usually 30 days, and to remain members as a condition of employment.
Right-to-work laws A state law forbidding requirements that workers must join a
union to hold their jobs. State right-to-work laws were specifically permitted by the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947.
10.5
Wisconsin collective bargaining fight 10.5
Economic Interests
Business Dominate lobbying and PACs
Business interests not monolithic Policy differences among industries
10.5
FIGURE 10.2: How corporate PACs have shifted toward the majority party
10.5
Environmental Interests
Sprang up since 1970 More than 10,000 groups with $2.9 billion revenue
Profound policy impact Influential due to numbers, not money
10.5
Save the polar bear 10.5
Equality Interests
Fourteenth Amendment guarantees
Minorities NAACP/Brown v. Board of Education (1954) Social welfare policies
Women National Organization for Women (NOW) Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
10.5
Consumer and Other Public Interest Lobbies Public interest lobbies
According to Jeffery Berry, organizations that seek “a collective good, the achievement of which will not selectively and materially benefit the membership or activists of the organization.”
Policies in the public interest Collective goods
What is the public interest?
10.5
Understanding Interest Groups
10.6
Interest Groups and Democracy
Does pluralism prevail? Growth in number of interest groups Less clout for any one group
Interest group corruption? Business PACs Wealthy groups dominate
Gridlock?
10.6
Interest Groups and the Scope of Government
Individualistic and associational
Difficult to reduce spending
Vicious circle Groups lead to policy Policy prompts new groups to form
10.6