Task 5 - GROUP POLITICS Flashcards
- Group Politics. What?
–> Interest groups as major link btw gov and the governed
- Group Politics. Name the 3 groups
- Communal groups
- Institutional groups
- Associated groups
1.1 Communal groups
–> Embedded in social fabric
- Membership based on birth
- Shared heritage
- Traditional bonds and loyalties
Ex: Families, tribes, castes, ethnic groups
1.2 Institutional groups
–> Part of the machinery of gov
- Attempt to exert influence in and through it
- No autonomy
- May become main form of interest articulation (authoritarian regimes)
Ex: Bureaucracy, military
1.3 Associational groups
–> Formed by ppl who purse shared goals
- voluntary action
- common interests / aspirations
- feature of industrialized state
Ex: Interest or pressure groups
1.3 Associational groups. Interest groups characteristics
-> Main function: Deal w gov and public bodies
- variety of forms
- variety of concerns
- local, national or international
1.3 Interest groups. Name the 2 classifications
- sectional or promotional groups
- insider or outisder groups
1.3.1 Sectional groups
- to advance / protect interests of members
- represent a section of society
- ex: trade unions, business corps, trade associations, professional bodies
1.3.2 Promotional groups
- to advance shared values, ideals or principles
- promote collective not selective benefits
- help groups other than members
- ex: NGOs
1.3.3 Insider groups
- enjoy regular, privileged and institut. access to gov
- overlap btw sectional and insider
- with objectives broadly compatible with those of gov + demonstrate that members abide by decisions
1.3.4 Outsider groups
- not consulted by gov / consulted irregularly
- often as weakness
- some choose to be
preservation of ideological purity
protect decentralized power structures
- MODELS OF GPs. Name the 3
- Pluralism
- Corporatism
- The New Right
2.1 pluralist model. Core theme and concept
–> stress capacity of Gs to defend individual from gov and promote democracy
- Core theme: pol power is fragmented
- decisions through complex process
- ensures views of larger number of groups
2.1 pluralist model. some characteristics
- larger representation
- with spread of behavioralism
- GPs as the core of democratic process
- characterized by balance of power
- potential replacement of pol parties
2.1 pluralist model. drawbacks
- elitists: only recognize one face of power (ability to influence decision-making
- marxists: pol power closely linked to ownership of ruling class
- neo-marxists: unequal comp btw business and labour groups
- glob: process leads to corporate takeover of gov
2.2 corporatist model. core theme and concept
-> analyze closer links that developed in industralized societies btw groups and state
- corporatism: social theory emphasizing privilege of some groups in relation to gov
more influence on public policy!
2.2 corporatist model. characteristics
- symbiotic relation btw gov and groups
- present in all advanced ind. states?
- seek ‘insider’ status (more access to policy formulation)
- privileges econ or functional groups (form of tripartitism?)
2.2 corporatist model. drawbacks
- may leave part of society out
- too much privilege to few
- portrays hierarchical order and leader domination
mechanism of social control? - threat to democracy (decisions outside democratic reach)
- gov captured by consulted groups
2.3 new right model. central theme and concept
-> antipathy towards interest groups derived from individualism that lies at neoliberal economics
2.3 new right model. characteristics
- self-reliance and entrepreneuralism
- concern for corporatism and escalating public spending
- concerned with over-gov
- argue that interest Gs exist to secure public goods
free-riders
no true common interest (question pol voice) - argue that it benefits small groups
- see it as main determinant for econ failure
- PATTERNS OF GPs. principle factors determining their influence
- political culture
- institutional culture
- party politics
- nature and style of public policy
3.1 political culture. 2 reasons why its crucial
- determines whether IGs are seen as legitimate or non-legitimate actors
- affects willingness of ppl to form/join organized IGs or to engage in politics
- regimes may practice monism
ensure gov control
- regimes can encourage IGs (japan, usa)
ensure freedom
- regimes can see it w suspicion (france)
undermine general will of ppl
3.2 institutional culture. distinction btw unitary and fragmented systems
unitary/centralized
- tend to narrow scope of GP
- concentrated around exec branch of gov
- more capacity of gov to decide whether to respond
fragmented/decentralized
- reflects impact of bicameralism, separation of powers and federalism
- super vulnerable: more access points
- stimulus of group formation
- ‘veto’ groups
3.3 party politics.
-> complex relationship w IGs
- some senses rivals
- broader aggregation of interests/ideological goals
- IGs seek narrower objectives
to exert influence in and through parties
- EXERTING INFLUENCE. varies according to:
vary according to
- issue with which the group is concerned
- how policy in area is shaped
3.4 public policy
-> degree to which state intervenes in public life
4.1 exerting influence: strategies according to resources
–> dependant on available resources:
- public sympathy
- size of membership
- financial strength
- organizational capabilities
- ability to use sanctions
- personal/institutional links to pol parties/gov
4.2 exerting influence: strategies according to channels of access
–> main channels
- bureaucracy
- assembly
- courts
- pol parties
- media
- international orgs
