AP Government Interest Groups Interest Group An interest group is an organization of people with similar policy goals who enter the political process to try to achieve a particular policy goal ID: 273470
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Slide1
Interest Groups
AP GovernmentSlide2
Interest Groups
Interest Group
An
interest group is an organization of people with similar policy goals who enter the political process to try to achieve a particular policy
goal
Single-issue groups
These are groups that have a narrow interest, tend to dislike compromise, and often draw membership from people new to politics
Anti-gun groups, anti-war groups, PETA and other such groups fit this mold
Public interest lobbies
These are organizations that seek a collective good, the achievement of which will not selectively and materially benefit the membership or activists of the organizationSlide3
Political Theories
There are 3 important theories regarding interest groups and how they function. Those theories are pluralism, elitism, and hyperpluralism.Slide4
Pluralism
Pluralism
argues that interest group activity brings representation to everyone.
Pluralism consists of:
p
roviding
a key link between people and government
competition between other interest groups
no groups are likely to become dominant
groups usually play by the rules of the game
groups weak in one resource can use another Slide5
Elitism
Elitism
argues that a few groups (primarily the wealthy) have most of the power in
government
The elitist theory states that:
the number of groups that exist doesn't matter as power is distributed
unequally
Incredible amounts of power are held by the largest corporations
The power of the few truly powerful groups are locked in by extensive systems of interlocking directorates
Though small groups may win minor policy battles, corporate elites will always win with big decisions Slide6
Hyperpluralism
Hyperpluralists
believe that too many groups are getting too much of what they
want
This results in government policy that is often contradictory and lacking in
direction
It is the belief of hyperpluralists that because we are trying to appease every interest group, we begin having issues with an overabundance of conflicting regulation and an overextended
budget
Hyperpluralism is supported by the concept of the iron
triangleSlide7Slide8
Success of Interest Groups
Interest groups that are smaller tend to have organizational advantages over larger interest
groups
A
potential group
is composed of all people who might be group members because they share some common
interest
An
actual group
is composed of those in the potential group who choose to
join
These actual groups have the ability to get things done more efficiently than the whole group because they have more maneuverability and have more people who are willing to fight for their cause Slide9
Goods
Interest groups are interested in providing what is called a
collective
good
A collective good is something of value that cannot be withheld from either
the potential
or
the actual
group
members
One problem with collective goods exists when there are those who benefit from that good, but do nothing to help it
succeed
This problem is known as the
free rider problem
.
In order to overcome the free-rider
problem,
many organizations setup
selective benefits
These are goods that a group can restrict to those who pay their yearly duesSlide10
Shaping Public Policy
Lobbying
is classified as communication, by someone other than a citizen acting on his or her own behalf, directed to a governmental decision maker with the hope of influencing his or her
decision
Lobbyists are important for the following reasons:
They are an important source of information
They can help politicians with political strategy for getting legislation through Congress
They can help formulate campaign strategy and get the group's members behind a politician's reelection campaign
They
are a source of ideas and innovationsSlide11
Types of Interest Groups
There are many different types of interest
groups
Labor, Business, Environmental, Equality, Consumer
Interest
Business interest groups are the fastest growing types of interest groupsSlide12
Labor Practices
Within labor practices there are certain union policies that
exist
Union shops
require that
new employees join the union in order to retain their
employment
Other business groups have supported
right-to-work laws
, which outlaw union membership as a condition of
employmentSlide13
Electioneering
The shaping of policy also involves electioneering
Electioneering
is the process of aiding candidates financially and getting group members out to support them.
Political action committees
, or PACs, also provide an avenue for the support of policy and specific candidates.