Chapter 10: Interest Groups Flashcards
What is an interest group?
An organization of people with similar goals that try to influence the political process
What do interest groups do?
- promote political candidates through PACs, 527 groups, and 501(c)
- effectively change laws
- promote case in the supreme court
What three categories do interest groups fall into?
- elitist theory
- pluralist theory
- hyperpluralist theory
What is the Elitist theory?
Interest groups that are large and populated are those with the most money
What is the Pluralist theory?
There are enough interest groups for it to be competitive
What is the Hyper-pluralist theory?
There are too many interest groups, which means there are too many choices, which leads to policy gridlock
What is the potential group vs the actual group?
The potential group is everyone who could be members, while the actual group are those that actually join. The actual group fights for the collective good and promotes their cause
What is the Free Rider Problem?
This is people who don’t join the group, but still benefit from what the group does
What is Olson’s law of large groups?
The larger the group, the bigger the free rider problem
What are selective benefits?
Benefits given to actual members to combat the free rider problem
What are iron triangles (subgovernments)?
They exercise a great deal of control over specific policy areas. It’s how interest groups, Congress, and bureaucracies all work together
What makes interest groups successful?
- intensity (single issue groups, protests, emotional issue)
- financial resources
How do groups try to shape policy?
- lobbying
- elecioneering (campaigning on behalf of someone)
- PACs (incumbents)
- litigation (amicus curiae-friends of the court)
- “Going Public” (take an issue and make it a part of mass media, often emotional)
What are the different types of interest groups?
- economic
- environmental
- equality
- consumers and public interest lobbies
