Chapter 11- Interest groups Flashcards
Direct Mail
A common fundraising technique which involves sending mail requesting funds to likely donors.
Free riders
Individuals who act purely on self interest. Persons who enjoy the benefits of an organization without doing anything to support it.
Selective benefits
Benefits which only effect certain members of a society.
Selective incentives
Any private benefit that induces someone to join or stay in an organization.
Political entrepreneurs
Individuals who are willing to take on enormous personal costs that exceed the personal benefits they obtain from a desired change in public policy.
Lobbying
Any action taken by an interest group to let the government know how the members of a group feel about proposed or existing regulations and legislation.
Grassroots lobbying
A fairly broad category of activity which can be defined as any type of action that attempts to influences inside the beltway inhabitants by influencing the attitudes or behavior of outside the beltway inhabitants.
Pluralism
A theory which perceives politics as the struggle between competing interest groups. Pluralism presupposes that “All the active and legitimate groups in the population can make themselves heard at some crucial stage in the process of decision”.
Hyperpluralism
A condition in which the prevalence of group demands makes it impossible for a government to plan, deal with long-term problems, and make policies that further the public interest.
Interest-group liberalism
Derogatory synonym for pluralism. Used by Theodore Lowi in his book The End of Liberalism.
Gridlock
The inability of government to make or implement any decision. Considered to be a consequence of hyperpluralism.
Interest groups
Private organizations formed to advance the shared interest of their members.
Interest (political science)
Something that someone wants to achieve. A goal or desire.
Iron triangle
The interaction between senate committees, interest groups, house committees, and executive agencies.
Issue network
A conglomeration of decision makers, activists and experts in a particular policy area. A larger, more diverse, and more dynamic variant of the iron triangle.
Political action committee
Legal mechanisms through which interest groups funnel contributions to candidates for public office. Often abbreviated to PACs.
Trade associations
An organization with a narrow focus and small membership which fights for workers in a certain industry.
Professional organizations
Organization of individuals employed, or self employed in a variety of skilled enterprises, such as medicine, law, accounting, or engineering.
Public interest group
An interest group which seeks a collective good, the achievement of which will not selectively or materially benefit the membership or activists of the organization.
Right-to-work laws
Laws which prevent labor agreements from requiring all workers to join the union.
Union density
The proportion of the non agricultural workforce belonging to unions. Peaked in the mid-1940s at about 36 percent. Has declined heavily since.
Card check legislation
Card check legislation changes existing law so that unions can organize in a new business more easily, but also take away existing secret ballot votes.
Single-issue groups
Organizations focused on one particular policy area. Rather than push for a broad policy agenda, these type of groups may be concerned about only a few legislative proposals or regulations.
Tariff
A tax charged on products imported into a country.
