Chapter 11 Review Flashcards
Explain the difference between an interest groups and a political party
Political parties fight their battles through the electoral process by running candidates for office, interest groups support candidates who support their goals (NRA) and interest groups are policy specialists
Interest Groups
An organization of people with shared policy goals entering the policy process at several points to try and achieve those goals interest groups pursue their goals in many arenas
Pluralism
A theory of government and politics emphasizing that politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies
Hyperpluralism
A theory of government and politics contending that groups are so strong that government is weakened. Hyperpluralism is an extreme, exaggerated or perverted form of pluralism
Interest groups liberalism
The government will try to do as much as it can help all pressure groups
Free rider problem
People do not join because they can benefit from the group without joining
Olson’s law of large groups
The larger the group the further it will fall short of providing an optimal amount of a collective good
Potential group
All the people who might be interest group member because they share some common interest. A potential group is almost always a larger than an actual group (all people who might be group members because they share a common interest)
Actual group
The part of the potential group consisting of members who actually join
Class action lawsuits
Permitting a small number of people to sue on behalf of all other peoples similarly situated
Amicus curiae briefs
Legal briefs submitted by a “friend of the court” for the purpose of raising additional points of view and presenting information not contained in the brief of the formal parties. These briefs attempt to influence a courts decision
How a lobbyist works and benefits of a politician of lobbyists
Lobbyists provide information and can legally funnel money to politicians through PAC’s and benefit interest groups politicians because politicians don’t have to go find information
Political Action Committees
Political funding vehicles created by the 1974 campaign finance reforms. A corporation,union or some other interest groups can create a PAC and register it with the FEC (federal election commission) which all meticulously monitor the PAC’s expenditures
Collective good
Something of value (money, a tax write off, prestige clean air and so on) that cannot be withheld from a group member
Single interest group
Groups that have narrow interest, tend to dislike compromise and often draw membership from people new to politics. These features distinguish them from traditional interest groups.
