6. Interest groups and social movements

Question 1

What is a social movement

Answer 1

Informal grouping of individuals or organizations which aim to promote contentious political or social issues

Question 2

Methods used by social movements and interest groups

Answer 2

• Creating associations
• Holding public meetings
• Vigils
• Rallies
• Demonstrations
• Issuing statements
• Raising awareness

Question 3

What are interest groups

Answer 3

• Formal organizations
• Any group that promotes specific policies
• Direct lobbying to policy makers
• Less confrontational than social movements and enage more positively with the state
• Do not seek political participation
• Seek to influence policy to benefit or protect their supporters
• Usually has professional organizational structure
• Often geographically located near centers of political power

Question 4

Provide an example of a social movement that transformed into an interest group

Answer 4

Labour movements at the start of the 20th century = social movement

The emergence of formal trade unions turned them into interest groups

Question 5

What is Dahl’s pluralist theory

Answer 5

Although most decisions ans direct influence lies with elected officials, many otehr groups should also be able to use their influence and resources to shape policymaking

Question 6

What was Dahl’s pluralist project

Answer 6

• Studied politics in New Haven
• Interest groupshad a high degree of access to political elites
• No one group dominated

Question 7

Why is pluralism good

Answer 7

• Preferable to a system where elections are the sole means of citizen engagement
• Has competitive elections but also offers a route for continuous indirect influence by non-elites

Question 8

Describe the criticism of the pluralist theory

Answer 8

• Unrealistic and over simplistic
• The degree to which politiciabns can be seen as neutral referees adjucating over competing interests has been called into question
  
  • Policitians are more likely to favour interest groups they agree with
• Citizens with more at stake will have greater access to politicians (not very equal)
• Some groups have a greater capacity to mobilise
• Interest groups can create alliances, making them much stronger

Question 9

What is an excludable good

Answer 9

A good that some poeple are excluded from benefiting from (farmers subsity only help farmers)

Question 10

What is a rivalrous good

Answer 10

A good that is reduced when consumed; if one person consumes some of it, there is less left for others (subsidy)

Question 11

What is the difference between a public good and a private good

Answer 11

Public good Private good benefits society as a whole benefits a specific group in society non-excludable and non-rivalrous excludable and rivalrous lobbies are called public interest groups lobbies are called private interest groups Air, National Defense Farmers and car industry subsidies

Question 12

What were Olson’s arguments in relation to public and private goods

Answer 12

People are more likely to take action on a private good since the rewards vs effort is greater

Question 13

What is Olson’s formula for determining an individual’s likelihood of participating in an interest group

Answer 13

R = B * P - C

R: reward

B: benefit

P: probability of making a difference

C: cost of participation

Question 14

What is the free rider problem as defined by Olson

Answer 14

Public goods have a lower level of support becuase the group is already going to mobilise and individuals will benefit regardless of wether they engage in the campaign

(the cost is high and the benefit will be the same regardless)

Question 15

Why did Olson believe that public goods should be supplied by the state regardless of the level of interest group support

Answer 15

Because otherwise they will be undersupplied

Question 16

What was the main criticism of Olson’s theory

Answer 16

Only applies when the benefits of a policy are concentrated but the cost is diffuse

Example: tax on the rich

• Costs are concentrated on the rich
• Benefits are distributed to society as a whole

Question 17

List 3 alternatives to pluralism

Answer 17

1. Corporatism
2. Consociationism
3. Neo-pluralism

Question 18

What is Corporatism

Answer 18

• The state provides privileged access to key groups when undertaking policy-making on specific issues
• Example: bringing in representatives from trade unions when discussing setting wages
• Criticism - may exclude some groups

Question 19

What is Consociationalism

Answer 19

• Proposed for societites with deep divides (particularly ethno-linguistic)
• State provides privileged access to these groups

Question 20

What is Neo-pluralism

Answer 20

• State subsidises public interest groups in order to create a level playing field with private interest groups
• Seen in USA and European Union where environmental groups are subsidised