The Rise and Role of Interest Groups
Linkage Institutions #5
The Primary Goal of Interest Groups
An interest group is an organization of
people sharing a common interest or goal
that seeks to influence public policy
Organization: Interest Groups are organized. There is a
structure with a heirarchy.
Common Interest: Interest Groups can have one narrow
interest (NRA) or a broader range (Sierra Club).
Influence Public Policy: Interest Groups attempt to get the
government to pass (or not pass) laws that impact their
interests.
Factors That Promote Interest Groups
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Size and Diversity of the Country
Decentralized Power
Number of Nonprofit Organizations
Increasing Weakness of Parties
Variety of Ethnic Groups
Diversity of Religious Groups
Separation of Powers
Federalism
Birth and Proliferation of Interest Groups
1770s: Independence Groups
1830s: Religious/Anti-Slave
1860s: Trade Unions, Grange
Movement
1880s: Business Associations
1960s: Environmental,
Consumer, Political Reform
1973s: Birth of PACs. By 1990s
Six times as many PACs as in
the 1970s
Why such growth?
• Broad Economic Developments Create New Interests and
Redefine Old Interests
– Farmers became politically active
– Mass-Production Industries lead to unions
• Government Policy
– Wars create Veterans who demand benefits
• Strong Leaders in Social Movements
– Religious Revival (1830s) Civil Rights (1960s)
• Expanding Role of Government
– Public Interest Lobbies as government involves itself in
more areas.
Types of Interest Groups
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Institutional Interests
Individuals or Organizations
representing other
organizations
Business Firms: General
Motors
Trade or Governmental
Associations
Focus on issues of central
concern to clients
Membership Interests
• Groups supported by the
individual members
• Americans are just as likely as
the British to join social,
business, professional,
veterans, or charitable groups.
• Less likely to join unions
• More likely to join religious,
political, or civic groups due to
greater sense of political
efficacy
Why Join Interest Groups (Incentives)
• All interest groups deal with the Free Rider
problem.
– Free riders are persons in the general public who
benefit from the efforts without joining the
organization (no financial or membership effort)
• Reasons
– Solidary Incentives
– Material Incentives
– Purposive Incentives
Solidary Incentives
• People join for the companionship, pleasure,
or status benefits given by the group
– Occurs when the national organization structure
themselves as a coalition of the small local units
– Facilitated by importance of local government
Material Incentives
• People join to gain money, things, and services
that are a benefit to its members
– To increase benefits these groups try to influence
how laws are administered
Purposive Incentives
• People join based on the goals of the organization
– Benefits usually enjoyed by non-members but
people still join due to
• Passion about goals of the organization
• Strong sense of civic duty
• Cost to join is minimal
Impact of Staff
The staff influences the group’s policy agenda if
the solidary or material benefits are more
important to the members than the purposive
goals.
Staff opinions may be quite different from
members’ opinions (Teacher’s Unions?)
Social Movements/Interest Groups
• Social Movement: A widely shared demand
for change in the social or political order. Can
be liberal or conservative.
Tea Party: Began as a focus on restraining
government growth
The Environmental Movement
• A social movement can increase the value some
people attach to purposive incentives
• The Environmental Movement highlights general
lessons about social movemements
– Movement can spawn numerous organizations
– More extreme organizations will be smaller and more
activist
– More moderate organizations will be larger and less
activist
– Overtime the movement has been fragmented with
differing approaches splitting the focus of the
movement.
The Feminist Movement
• Highlights various types of Interest Groups
– Solidary (LWV, Business and Professional Women’s
Federation)
• Middle-class educated women
• Avoid issues that divide membership or limit access (partisanship,
abortion)
– Purposive (NOW, NARAL)
• Highly activist organization that takes strong positions on divisive
issues
• Internal controversy is common
• Local organizations independent from national group
– Material (Women’s Equality Action League)
• Addresses specific issues of material benefit (Equal Pay)
Funding for Interest Groups
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Foundation Grants
Government Grants
Direct-mail solicitation of members
On-line appeals and donations
Parties and Interest Groups
• Both are linkage institutions (links average
citizen with government activities)
• But differ in fundamental goals
– Parties: Elect members to government
– Interest Groups: Influence policy of government
Interest Groups can often work as a
support system to help parties achieve
their goals
Parties and Interest Groups
Interest Groups can support parties through…
• Monetary Contributions
• Mobilization of Voters
• Media Campaigns
• Providing Information
• Independent Expenditures
• Endorsement of Candidates