Interest Groups!

Fun Facts and Figures

•There are more than 100,000 associations in the United States.

•More than 2/3 of all Americans belong to at least one group.

•Almost 7000 interest groups are represented in D.C. (more than any other country).

•At least half of the lobbyists in Washington are women.

•70 % of Washington-based groups have established their D.C. offices since the 1960s.

What is an Interest Group?•Any organization that seeks to influence

public policy

Why are Interest Groups Common in the U.S.?•Lots of kinds of cleavages mean lots of

different interests•Constitution provides many access points to

the government •Political parties are so weak, interest

groups can work directly on the government

•First Amendment—right to assemble •Federal system provides thousands of

“pressure points” for interest group activity▫You can join groups on all levels.

Why Have Interest Groups Formed?• Broad economic developments

▫Ex: Farmers had little reasons to become organized politically until they started to produce cash crops for sale in markets that were unstable.

• Government policy▫Ex: Wars created veterans who demand pensions

and other benefits. • Emergence of strong leaders

▫Usually from a social movement; drawn to need for change and inspired by political and religious doctrine.

• Expanding role of government▫Creates policies of concern to groups

Kinds of Interest GroupsMost fall into two categories: institutional interests and membership interests

Institutional Interests 1. Defined: individuals or

organizations representing other organizations

2. Types a. Business firms (ex. General Motors)b. Trade or governmental associations

3. Concerns: bread-and-butter issues of concern to their clients

4. Other interests: governments, foundations, universities

Membership Interests 1. Americans join some groups

more frequently than citizens in other nations a. Social, business, professional, veterans’, charitable – same rate as elsewhere b. Unions – less likely to join c. Religious, political, civic groups – more likely to join d. Greater sense of political efficacy, civic duty seems to explain tendency

Types of Interest Groups:

•Economic interest groups•Environmental groups•Public interest groups•Single issue groups•Foreign governments

Incentives to Join •Solidary (social rewards—sense of pleasure)

•Material ($ or things valued in monetary terms)

•Purposive (a benefits that comes from serving the cause—abortion, gun control, etc)

•Have to be careful of the “Free Rider Problem” – people will receive the benefits if a group is successful regardless of whether they’re members (ex. Sierra Club)

Interest Groups and Social movements

•Social movements are often precursors to interest groups; they generate interest groups with specific goals that successfully recruit members through incentives the group offers.▫The Environmental Movement▫The Feminist Movement▫The Union Movement

Funding A. Foundation Grants

1. One study found that 1/3 of public-interest lobbying groups received more than half of all their funds from foundation grants

B. Federal Grants and Contracts 1. Expansion of federal grants in the 1960s and 1970s benefited interest groups; cutbacks in 1980s hurt them 2. Money given not for lobbying, but to support projects 3. Very difficult to tell whether grants are used effectively or not

C. Direct Mail 1. Unique to modern interest groups 2. Through the use of computers, mail is sent directly to a specialized audience 3. But this approach is also expensive 4. Techniques

a. Teaser on the envelope b. Letter arouses emotions c. Personalization of the letter

**Membership organizations have the most trouble raising money

Fortune’s Top 5 Most Effective Interest Groups