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INTEREST GROUPS   … an INTEREST GROUPS   … an

INTEREST GROUPS … an - PowerPoint Presentation

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Uploaded On 2018-10-06

INTEREST GROUPS … an - PPT Presentation

organization or people with shared policy goals entering the policy process at several points to try to achieve those goals AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF RETIRED PERSONS NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION PEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS ID: 684918

interest groups policy group groups interest group policy actual government theory lobbying potential members politics problem political public benefits

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Slide1

INTEREST GROUPSSlide2

… an

organization or people with shared policy goals entering the policy process at several points to try to achieve those goalsSlide3

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF RETIRED PERSONSSlide4

NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATIONSlide5

PEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALSSlide6
Slide7

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLESlide8

NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMENSlide9

1. While

political parties fight their battles in the

electoral process

, interest groups

do not seek to get their members elected

Interest

groups may support candidates for office, but American interest groups do not run their own slate of candidates

2. Interest

groups are often

policy specialists

, whereas political parties are

policy generalists

3. Unlike

political parties, interest groups do not face the constraint imposed by trying to appeal to everyoneSlide10
Slide11

LOBBYING

“communication, by someone other than a citizen acting on his own behalf, directed to a governmental

decisionmaker

with the hope of influencing behavior”Slide12

a. they are an important

source of information

providing specialized expertise in a single policy area

b. they can help a member with

political strategy

for getting legislation through (they act as consultants)

c. they can help formulate

campaign strategy

and get the group’s members behind a politician’s re-election campaign

d. they are a

source of ideas

and innovationsSlide13

Theories of Interest Group Politics

“Do interest groups and lobbying create problems for government?”

Three theories to answer this question:

Pluralism

Elitism

HyperpluralismSlide14

1. Pluralist Theory

a

theory of government and politics emphasizing that politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies

a

. argues that interest group activity brings representation to all

b. groups compete and counterbalance one another in the political

marketplace

Therefore:

lobbying is open to all and is positive

.Slide15

2.

Elite Theory

a

theory of government and politics contending that societies are divided along class lines and that an upper-class elite will rule, regardless of the formal niceties of governmental organization

A

few groups (primarily the wealthy) have most of the

power

Most interest groups are insignificant

Therefore:

lobbying is a problem because it benefits the few at the expense of the many

.Slide16

3.

Hyperpluralist

Theory

a

theory of government and politics contending that groups are so strong that government is weakened

a.

hyperpluralism

is an extreme, exaggerated, or perverted form of pluralism

b. too many groups are getting too much of what they want, resulting in government policy that is often contradictory and lacking in

direction

Therefore:

lobbying results in contradictory and confusing public policies

.Slide17

Iron Triangles

A network of

subgovernments

, a mutually dependent, mutually advantageous relationship between interest groups interested in a particular policy, government agencies that administer that policy, and the congressional committees that handle it.

Hyperpluralists

believe these relationships are ‘too cozy’ and lead to hard choices rarely being made … leading to contradiction and/or policy gridlock.Slide18

The “Iron Triangle”Slide19

What

makes interest groups successful?

Size

Intensity

Financial resourcesSlide20

Smaller

groups

are

more likely

to achieve their goals than

large groups.

But,

Why?Slide21

Potential Groups

All people who might be members due to a shared interestSlide22

Actual Group

Those in the potential group who choose to joinSlide23

The greater the percentage of the potential group in the actual group = greater effectiveness of the group

Therefore, smaller groups usually have an advantage in this regard.Slide24

Collective Good

Something of value that cannot be denied or withheld from either potential or actual group members

Such as clean air

In other words: Potential members benefit from positives that the actual group works to secure.Slide25

Therefore, the problem presents itself …

“Why should I, a potential member, become an actual member … if I’ll benefit anyways?”Slide26
Slide27

The Free Rider Problem

The problem of not joining the actual group because benefits will be realized without joining.

“Why should I work for a group, pay dues, give time and energy, etc. when I get the advantages without doing anything?”Slide28

How to Overcome this Problem …

Providing attractive benefits only for actual members.

These are called

Selective Benefits

.

Goods that a group can restrict to those who are in the actual groupSlide29

Also …

“Issue Intensity”

Single-Issue Group

: a narrow interest, dislikes compromise, and

single-mindedly

pursues its goalSlide30

Financial Resources

Major criticism of the interest group system is that it is biased toward the wealthy

Top Groups, according to ‘power’

:

NRA

AARP

National Federation of Independent Business

American Israel Public Affairs Committee

AFL-CIOSlide31

How Interest Groups Shape Policy

Lobbying

Litigation

Going Public

Electioneering

PACsSlide32

Types of Interest Groups

Economic Interests

Labor, Business

Environmental Interests

WWF, Nature Conservancy

Equality Interests

NOW, NAACP

Consumer/Public Interest Lobbies