Interest Groups

Question 1

What are the two paths to deal with Factions?

Answer 1

Eliminate causes [give everyone the same preferences and reduce liberty]
and
Control effects [institutional design of constituion and pluralism]

Question 2

What are interest groups?

Answer 2

narrow focus on issues, sometimes a single issue. try to influence government by lobbying and do no try to affect policy by contesting elections.

Question 3

Parties?

Answer 3

broad-based coalition with a wide range of issues that influence policy by contesting elections.

Question 4

What is the free rider problem?

Answer 4

People can enjoy benefits of group activity without paying for costs. So the individual impact on the group is nearly zero, individuals recieve beneifts whether they contribute or not.

Question 5

What is the Prisoner’s dilemma?

Answer 5

If both supsects cooperate(remain silent_) then both get a short sentence in jail, if one supsect implicates the other partner, while the other partner remains silent then suspect ! gets no jail time, and suspect 2 gets long sentence. If both implicate each other then both get a moderate sentence

Question 6

How to avoid Prisoner’s Dilemma?

Answer 6

foster incentives for cooperation like reputation, trust, etc.

Question 7

How to overcome free rider problem?

Answer 7

Coercion: force people to join or to pay benefits [union shops]; selective benefits– provide goods/services to group members[may not even relate to groups goals]

Question 8

What are the interest group strategies?

Answer 8

Lobbying; inside strategy and outside strategy; litigation; electoral activities

Question 9

What is lobbying?

Answer 9

direct efforts to influence government decision making

Question 10

What is inside strategy?

Answer 10

meet with lawmakers and government officials [may help draft legislation]

Question 11

What is outside strategy?

Answer 11

mobilize members and public opnion to influence lawmakers through TV Ads, newspapers, mass mailings, prostests, etc.

Question 12

Tactics used in inside strategies?

Answer 12

contacting journalists; direct lobbying; drafting new legislation; drafting new regulations; litigation; research reports; testimony

Question 13

Tactics used in outside strategies?

Answer 13

campaign workers or advertising; candidate endorsements; campaign contributions; grassroots lobbying; organizing protests; soliciting letters or emails

Question 14

Has lobbying spending increased or decreases recently?

Answer 14

Increased. In the billions.

Question 15

Federal spending vs. lobbying?

Answer 15

federal spending is in the trillions and lobbyists are in the thousands. Federalists have increased pretty steadily until 2009[spiked] and lobbyists kinda have a bell-curve with the first figure in 2000 higher and dropped a little in 2009

Question 16

What is litigation?

Answer 16

use of the judicial system: challenge legality of laws or actions–Amicus Curiae briefs~letters to Supreme Court explaining position. Very common when other ways failed.

Question 17

What are electoral activities?

Answer 17

contribute money to campaigns (PACs); provide volunteers; endorse candidates; spend money on advertising

Question 18

What are interest group resources?

Answer 18

resources determine power and influence.

cohesion, leadership, information, size, and money

Question 19

What does cohesion do as a resource to interest groups?

Answer 19

enhances chance of success

Question 20

What does leadership do as a resource to interest groups?

Answer 20

important for cohesion

Question 21

What does information do as a resource to interest groups?

Answer 21

expertise….policymakers depend on interest groups for information but the information must be accurate. Repeats play and prisoner’s dilemma

Question 22

What does size do as a resource to interest groups?

Answer 22

large membership implies ability to acquire and mobilize resources

Question 23

What does money do as a resource to interest groups?

Answer 23

crucial resources
sources: membership dues[but deters membership]; required membership [unions, professional association]; government grants [cities, universities]

Question 24

What are PAC’s?

Answer 24

Political action committees that are specialized organizations for raising and contribution campaign money.

Question 25

What do PAC’s do?

Answer 25

contributes millions of dollars to political campaigns and give primarily to incumbents in Congress.

Question 26

Have PAC’s increased spending or decreased spending?

Answer 26

Increased.

Question 27

Have PAC’s increased in numbers or decreased?

Answer 27

Increased since 1974 but stabilized around 1994