Interest Groups 2.0

Fitz-AP Gov

Focus: What do you get out of joining a Facebook group?

• How many do you belong to?

People Groups

What Are Interest Groups?

• Interest Group (simple definition) organization of people with similar policy goals that tries to influence the political process

• Influence every branch and every level of government.

3 VIEWS ON GROUPS• James Madison and Federalist #10

• The open nature of the American government invites organized political participation.- Market of ideas

1. Pluralist theory

• Groups are good. Representation is equal.

1. Disadvantages to those who are not organized.

2. some interests have more power than others.

3. no room for consideration of transcendent national interests.

Pluralism and its Critics

2. Hyperpluralist theory• Too many groups getting too much of what

they want

3. Elitist theory

• Only a few groups have power. Mainly the wealthy.

The Iron Triangle*• Congressional Committees

• Interest Groups • Government Agencies

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• Congressional support through lobbying

• Low regulation, special favors, contracts

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rovides constituent services for

Why are large groups unsuccessful?

Olson says…

The the group

the further it will

short of providing an optimal amount of a collective good

Free-rider problem

• Why join ?

when everyone benefits from…

Selective or material benefits

Solidarity benefits

Purposeful benefits

What Do Interest Groups Do?

• A Lobbyists is someone whose task it is to influence legislation or policymaking.

• Lobbyists have to be:– Honest– Persuasive– Well-connected

• in order to be efficient

Interest Groups TechniquesDirect Techniques:• Lobbying

– Private meetings– Testifying– Drafting Legislation– Social Occasions– Providing Political

Info– Supplying Nomination

suggestions

Indirect techniques:

• Generating Public Pressure– Use Constituents

as Lobbyists– Building Alliances

with other groups

What Makes an Interest Group Successful?

In general three factors tend to lead to interest group success:

1. Leaders2. Patrons and Funding –Without money, it is

hard to get your message out.3. Members – a group must have members to

be successful. Organizing members allows for strength in numbers and pooling of financial support.

Criticism Interest Groups

Interest Groups have been criticized for• Ignoring the wider interest of society

• Producing confusion and deadlock in Congress

• Generating so much emotion that they make reasoned discussion difficult

• Having too much influence

Important Points to Think About

Interest Groups • Promote interest in public affairs

• Provide useful information

• Serve as watchdogs

• Represent the interest of Citizens

Interest Groups 2.0 What is an interest group-

Pluralist theory Hyperpluralist theory

Elitist theory Olson’s Law

Free-rider problem Selective or material benefits

Purposeful benefits

What do interest groups do? Lobbying-

Direct techniques- Indirect techniques-

Recipe for success- Criticism of interest groups-