America and Arizona
Government for Elementary
Teachers
Presentation 17: Interest Groups and
Parties
Presentation Objectives
AEPA Objectives
0006 Understand various governmental systems.
0013 Understand the development of political parties in the
United States.
AZ Social Studies Standard, Strand 3
Concept 4: Rights, Responsibilities, and Roles of Citizenship
What are Interest Groups?

Any organization that
seeks to influence
public policy.
Impact of Interest Groups



Pluralist – Competition between groups
insures that no one group dominates
Elitist – pluralism doesn’t work because it is
the monied interests which have the loudest
voice
Hyper-pluralism – groups are so numerous
and powerful that it is impossible to make a
coherent public policy
Why are some groups powerful?

Small groups tend be
more effective



Small overhead
Narrow focus
Large groups have free
riders
Collective Action Matrix
Benefits
Concentrated
Flood Insurance
User Fees
Concentrated
Toll Roads
Costs
Diffuse
Affirmative Action
Tariffs
Subsidized
insurance
Amtrack
Diffuse
Environmental regulations
Govt. Studies
Social Security
National Defense
Collective Action Matrix
Benefits
Concentrated
Concentrated
Costs
Diffuse
Diffuse
Flood Insurance
User Fees
Toll Roads
Environmental regulations
Safety regulations
(gun control)
Affirmative Action
Tariffs
Subsidized insurance
Amtrack
Govt. Studies
Social Security
National Defense
Interest groups that seek specific benefits or avoid specific costs are effective
because members are willing to pay organizational costs
Oppositional groups have difficulty organizing
Collective Action Matrix

This means that a
vocal, motivated
minority will always
have more influence on
public policy than a
complacent majority.
Lobbying
Provide information to
policy makers to
persuade them to enact
favorable legislation
Electioneering
Help friendly politicians
stay in office and defeat
unfriendly politicians
Influence Public Opinion
Bypass the policy process to
affect behavior directly
Also affects politicians, if they
like their jobs
Litigation
Last ditch resort to block
policy
Political Parties
What are Political Parties?

Act the same as Interest groups

Lobbying


Electioneering


Help friendly politicians stay in office and defeat unfriendly
politicians
Influence Public Opinion



Provide information to policy makers to persuade them to
enact favorable legislation
Bypass the policy process to affect behavior directly
Also affects politicians, if they like their jobs
Litigation

Last ditch resort blocking of policy
What are Political Parties?

One additional activity

Lobbying


Electioneering



Bypass the policy process to affect behavior directly
Also affects politicians, if they like their jobs
Litigation


Help friendly politicians stay in office and defeat unfriendly
politicians
Influence Public Opinion


Provide information to policy makers to persuade them to
enact favorable legislation
Last ditch resort blocking of policy
Select and Support Candidates for election
What do parties do?
Why have parties?
Aggregate Preferences
Like minded folks getting
together to turn their
preferences into policy.
Why have parties?
Give Candidates the
Ability to govern
The party acts as a
government in
opposition, enables
winning candidates to
quickly fill positions.
2008 transition team for Missouri’s new governor
Why have parties?
Provide Information to
Voters
They keep track of the
minutia, educate the
public on the important
issues
Why have parties?
Provide a way to maintain
the election machine
between elections
Most important function,
historic origin
What don’t they Do?
Are they worth the trouble?

Build Consensus




Good policy often
requires compromise
Compromise takes
campaign issues away
from parties and
candidates
The party needs to stand
FOR something and
Against something
Expect gridlock in
congress before an
election
What don’t they Do?
Are they worth the trouble?
Have the national interest
paramount
Parties exist to further
their fortunes
May or may not coincide
with the national
interest
What don’t they Do?
Are they worth the trouble?
Provide unbiased information
Parties are election machines, not educational
institutions
What don’t they Do?
Are they worth the trouble?
Provide unbiased information
Parties are election machines, not educational
institutions
Why Two parties?

System is set up to
perpetuate itself

Who makes election
rules?
rd
3
Party Barriers
Ballot rules
Winner-take-all system
Congressional rules
Co-optation

Parties co-opt
successful movements
to prevent losing
ground to them


Leadership
Issue position
Cross-Cutting Issue

Cross-cutting cleavage creates opportunity
for 3rd party to gain followers.
Dem
Pro
Dem
Pro
Con
Rep
Reinforcing Cleavage
Gun Control
Con
Rep
Cross-Cutting Cleavage
Entitlement Reform
Conclusion
This Presentation
This presentation is
courtesy of Brian Dille,
Professor of Political
Science at Mesa
Community College.