Chapter 10: Interest Groups Flashcards
interest group
an organization of people who share common political interests and aim to influence public policy by electioneering and lobbying
three types of interest groups
economic group
citizen group
single-issue group
economic group
- seeks public policies that provide monetary benefits to its members
- trade association & labor organization
- pickle packers international, MLBPA
trade association
composed of companies in the same business or industry (same “trade”) that lobbies for policies that benefit members of the group (controls lots of jobs)
labor organization
organized association of workers, often in trade or profession, formed to protect & further their rights & interests
citizen group
- seeks changes in spending, regulations, or government programs concerning a wide range of policies (public interest group)
- Sierra Club
single-issue group
- has a narrowly focused goal, seeking change of a single topic, gov. program, or piece of legislation
- NRA, NCAA, Bass Pro Organization
mass associations
have a large # of dues-paying individuals as members
peak associations
members are business or other organizations rather than individuals
prisoner’s dilemma
in order to survive, interest groups need to find ways to remove temptation to free ride:
- solidary benefits
- purposive benefits
- selective incentives
- coercion
solidary benefits
satisfaction derived form the experience of working w/ like-minded people, even if the group’s efforts do not achieve the desired impact
purposive benefits
satisfaction derived from the experience of working toward a desired policy goal, even if the goal is not achieved
selective incentives
benefits that can motivate participation in a group effort bc they are available only to those who participate, such as member services offered by interest groups
coercion
method of eliminating non-participation of free-riding by potential grow members by requiring participation, as in many labor unions
inside strategies
tactics employed w/in DC by interest groups seeking to achieve their policy goals
- direct obeying
- drafting legislation (important)
- research
- testimony
- litigation
outside strategies
tactics employed outside DC
- grassroots lobbying
- mobilizing public opinion
- electioneering
- cultivating media contacts
- initiatives and referenda
- astroturf lobbying
direct lobbying
attempts by interest group staff to influence policy by speaking w/ elected officials or bureaucrats
grassroots lobbying
relies on participation by group members, such as a protest or a letter-writing campaign
electioneering
influence who gets elected, but does not necessarily affect gov actions
astroturf lobbying
designed to look like the spontaneous, independent participation of many individuals
interest groups get involved in elections by:
- making contributions to candidates
- mobilizing people (including their staff) to help in a campaign
- endorsing candidates
- funding campaign ads
- mobilizing a candidate’s or party’s supporters
Baumgartner & Leech
maze of contradictions:
-no correlation between the amount of money spent on lobbying and a group’s success at achieving goals
salience
level of familiarity w/ an interest group’s goals among the general population
conflict
extent to which other groups or the public opposes a group’s interests
interest groups are most influential when…
low salience and non-conflictual
Hall & Wayman
money doesn’t buy votes, but it buys he marginal time, energy, and legislative resources that committee participation requires
