exam 3 ;D Flashcards
- Why are interest groups considered linkage institutions?
- Interest groups serve as linkage institutions because it is organized groups of like-minded individuals with shared common goals or objectives that attempt to influence policymakers with respect to their shared goals
- Linkage institutions are structures within society that connect the people to the government, facilitating communication and influence between citizens and policymakers.
- What are the basic types of interest groups? Which are most numerous?
- Business- promotes trade and business organizations and can have too much interest (most numerous)
- Agricultural: backs farm interests
- Labor: represents working class
- Public Employee: supports government employees
- Environmental: advocates environmental policies
- Public- upholds collective goals
- What is distinctive about public interest groups?
- They uphold collective goods and aim to benefit the public rather than a specific segment of special interest groups.
- They lobby for something that they believe is good for everyone. There is no direct benefit for the specific group.
- Why would an individual join an interest group? What is unique about the various incentives?
- Material benefits: $ provide stability and makes people stay
- Solidary benefits: community and friendship
- Purposive benefits: care about group goals
Selective benefits: interest group try to benefit only ppl
- What are the basic strategies that interest groups use to further their members’ interests?
- Lobbying Strategies- direct strategy (best approach)
- Grassroot lobbying- outside strategy
- Litigation- legal strategy
- Grassroot lobbying techniques- outside strategy
o Generates public pressure
strategies of interest groups
o* Lobbying Strategies- direct strategy (best approach) actions are taken via direct lobby techniques:
* Campaign assistance: refers to the support interest groups provide to political candidates during their campaigns.money is the key to provide assistance
* Political Action Committee PAC: limited $ to individual per election, political arms of interest groups
* Super PAC’s: not affiliated w/ parties and anonymous, can make endless contributions but not allowed to directly give $ toward candidates (ex: run negative ads)
* Ratings: interest groups will rate candidates, sometimes don’t
* Provide Info: congressional hearings, as accurate as they can make it, do not lie to Congress
Fallback strategy of direct lobbying shotgun approach: using constituents as lobbyists, ppl might not get the message you want
o Rifle approach: organizations pick ppl to contact them, build alliances, ex: Title IX was passed like this
* Litigation Techniques:
o bring lawsuits- file legal cases to promote their agenda
o class action suits (prefer this) court has to permit this class action that combines cases of similar griviences into one
Testing Issues: Challenge laws or policies relevant to their interests.
Amicus Curiae Briefs: “Friend of the Court” documents to present additional expertise or perspectives to the court.
testing what interests’ groups deem important
o if person who they support takes money, its over
problems of strategies of interest group
- Problems:
o Direct Lobbying- spend more time blocking or stopping something than achieving something and potential issues include the influence of money through campaign assistance and Super PACs, which can lead to an imbalance in representation by favoring groups with more financial resources.
o Grassroot Outside Strategy- Problems include difficulty in keeping people engaged and coordinating efforts, as well as the challenge of delivering a clear message.
o Litigation Inside Strategy- Using the courts to create change can be slow and expensive, and legal victories might not always lead to long-term changes unless supported by other political actions.
What is a Political Action Committee (PAC)? How are they used by interest groups in the political process?
- Political Action Committee PAC: limited $ to individual per election who favor their causes, political arms of interest groups
What are some of the reasons for interest group formation? How do the formation processes work?
- Individuals form groups to advance shared goals and common interests, and the benefits of collective action or policy disagreements can drive formation. Groups may form because of changes in the economy, an entrepreneur creates the group, created to counter another organization, and wants can drive formation. Groups may form because of changes in the economy, an entrepreneur creates the group, created to counter another organization, want to change govt policy or structure.
- Economic and Technological change and advancement.
What are some of the resources used by interest groups to achieve their objectives? Which resources seem to be the most valuable?
- Size of membership by Olson’s “Law of Large Groups” bigger is not better and more difficult for cohesion bc benefits get split in more ways
- Small/ medium seem to be more effective; members get more benefits within the interest group, and more cohesive
- Finical resources- is best bc easily interchangeable
- Intensity of membership- feels strongly about what interest group is doing
- Expertise of members- understand how interest group’s process works
Should interest group activities receive greater regulation? Why or why not?
- Yes- should be regulate more bc
o PAC money creates obligations ($250 < has to be reported)
o makes incumbents more secure
o gives more money to them- will return
o undermines political parties bc candidate centered
o pushes out individual contributors - No- should not be regulated more bc
o PAC money is used to enter in other ways
o Regulations violate 1st amendment
o Multiple business PACs
o Political parties are already in decline
o Individual contributes gives the most
What is meant by political culture? How does political culture differ from public opinion? How does it differ from political socialization?
- Political Culture: Core values in political system
- Contrast w/ public opinion
o Political culture is more stable
o Public opinion changes overnight, rapid - Political Socialization: Transmission of political values + norms from one generation to the next
- Political culture refers to the shared core values, beliefs, and norms within a political system that provide a stable foundation for political behavior. Unlike public opinion, which can change quickly and reflect current attitudes on issues, political culture remains relatively stable over time. Political socialization, on the other hand is the process through which individuals learn and internalize these political values and norms, often passed down from one generation to the next current attitudes on issues, political culture
remains relatively stable over time. Political socialization, on the other hand, is the process through which individuals learn and internalize these political values and s, often passed down from one generation to the next.
Why is socialization such an important issue for most governments? What is socialization?
- Political Socialization: Transmission of political values+ norms from one generation to the next &
- Essential for Political system survival
What are the major agents of socialization? What role do they play? Which agent is considered the most important?
- Agents of Socialization
o Family MOST IMPORTANT AGENT, party ID
o Schools K-12 & peers not much influence
o Media important w/ gen. Hyperdermic model: media is injected into people. Selective Perception: see things you want to see, tell you what to think about
What are Verba and Nie’s various participant types? How would you characterize yourself using Verba and Nie’s criteria? Explain.
- Inactives/ do-nothings- 22% largest
- Voting specialists/ regular voters- 21%
- Parochial (selective) participants- 4% Gets involved only where it affects them. Smallest!!
- Community Activists/ Communalists- 20% want to help community and not involve din party coflicts
- Campaign Activitsts/ Campaigners-15% involved inpartisan political issues
- Complete Activists 11% involved in everything
What were the key expansions in the right of franchise? What attempts were made to restrict or limit these new franchise rights? (e.g., Grandfather Clauses etc.)
- Expanding franchise/ expanding voters
- Property requirements dropped
- Race -civil war amendments
o 14th adm. Grants citizenship
o 13th admnedment abollish slavery - Gender-19th amendment. Full franchise (women)
- Age- 26th admd. 18-22yrs to vote in elections but does not cover state
- Congress can only control federal elections
- Restrictions such as grandfather clauses (if your grandpa voted you can) and poll taxes have historically limited new franchise rights.
