| *Home* *POLS-2301* **Prev Page** Page 11 Chapter 8, cont. |
| 11 November Thursday Biggest growth in # of interest groups = the past 20 yrs Each govt�l action causes 2+ interest groups to form Incentives to be in Interest Groups 1. solidary--social reasons--people want to be around people w/same ideas 2. material--tangible benefits--free stuff (advertising, by joining with other co.�s, etc.) 3. purposive--committed to the group�s purpose--join b/c they believe Free-Rider Problem - everyone can enjoy, w/out making a contribution Overcoming Free-Rider Problem Coercion�coercive measures (violence) taken to get people to contribute/participate Selective Benefits�services/discounts only available to members How Interest Groups Influence Govt Lobbying�attempt to directly influence the decisions of public officials generally done by professionals Grassroots Lobbying�attempt to influence political officials by indirect influence through the people/voters Technological advances promoted�Astroturf Lobbying Political Action Committees (PACs) - attempts to influence the govt by raising and spending campaign funds - interest groups use these -Federal Election Committee regulates PACs at the Federal level * Persuading the Public - groups conduct advertising campaigns (mail, media coverage, etc) * Litigation - groups file lawsuits (ex: amicus curiae, �friend of the court� briefs) * Direct Action -protests, demonstrations, strikes, riots How Influential are Interest Groups? - Academics think that there are so many interest groups that they cancel each other out - Critics believe that interest groups dominate political parties, that it makes individuals not matter so much anymore Iron Triangle - a collusion of congressional committees, executive agencies, and interest groups that dominate - they have a 3 way relationship * executive agencies regulate industries * interest groups want favorable decisions for them * committees are the ones that set the budgets * interest groups give money to agencies Issue Networks - more fluid, they change - legislators, interest groups, bureaucrats, academics, experts share info/opinions on particular topics and try to influence executive branch, legislative branch, and judicial branch - goal: get their policy implemented Interest Groups Positive: - groups challenge each other, govt, officials (supplements checks and balances, prevents tyranny of the majority) - groups/orgs give individuals/ordinary citizens access to their representatives - provide information/alternative perspectives to people who may not have seen them - sometimes they act as watchdogs, just like the media does (report cards) Negative: - imbalance of power of interest groups (whoever has most resources, has most power) - participation = not equal among citizens (wealthy and educated participate more) - groups have an upper-class bias (yay, I got them all on here this time! now check out my review) |