Interest Groups:
Where Do They Come From?
Madison, Federalist #10
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“By a faction I understand a number of
citizens, whether amounting to a
majority or minority of the whole, who
are united and actuated by some
common impulse of passion, or of
interest, adverse to the rights of other
citizens, or to the permanent and
aggregate interests of the community.”
What is an “interest group”?
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“Organized group of people that makes
policy-related appeals to government”
Focus is on policy, not personnel
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Interest Group v. Political Party
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Examples of Interest Groups
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American Civil Liberties Union
National Right to Life
Amnesty International
United Auto Workers
National Council of Churches
General Motors
University of North Texas (ahem)
Effect of Interest Groups on
Democratic Process
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Pluralism
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Groups distill and organize political discourse
Groups are reflection of the electorate, just refined
Alternatives to pluralism
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Elitism: some interests not represented, especially
the poor
Hyperpluralism: interest groups get in the way
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Polarizing effect
Always under foot
Analogy
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Pluralism: Interest group voices are a
symphony
Elitism: Our symphony is all woodwinds
Hyperpluralism: The instruments in our
symphony are not playing the same
piece of music, so we have noise rather
than music
What does an interest group
need to operate?
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Leadership / Decision-making structure
Financial structure
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Membership dues
Voluntary contributions
Sales of goods/services
People
Impediments to Interest
Group Formation
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Collective Action Problem
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Free Rider Problem
So How Do Interest Groups
Form?
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Political entrepreneurs
Small group, high stakes
How Do Groups Attract
Members?
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Coercion – make membership
mandatory
Selective benefits
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Informational benefits
Material benefits
Solidary benefits
Purposive benefits
Who joins?
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Similar to demographics of “who votes”
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Wealth
Education
Social status (white collar jobs)
Why?
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Resources
Social capital
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Pre-existing networks
Skill in seeking out groups
How Do Interest Groups
Operate?
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What strategies do interest groups employ to
influence government policies?
General categories:
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Lobbying
Cultivating Access
Mobilization
Electioneering
Litigation
Lobbying
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Power of persuasion
Public affairs firms and professional
“lobbyists”
Forms of lobbying:
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Door-to-door lobbying and “junkets”
Drafting model legislation
Testifying before Congress/agencies
Cultivating Access
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Part of the lobbying process – gaining and
maintaining the trust of decision-makers
Methods for gaining access
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Hiring insiders
Junkets / travel expenses
“Repeat players”
Patterns of access
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Iron triangles
Issue networks
Mobilization
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“Going public” – building public support of
your position and demonstrating that support
to decision-makers
Methods:
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Institutional advertising
Public education
Grassroots mobilization (letter-writing, etc.)
Direct action / “social movements”
Electioneering
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Affecting policy by affecting elections
Methods:
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Ballot initiatives
Mobilizing voters
Endorsing candidates
Political action committees
“Issue advocacy” (the dreaded 527
organization)
Litigation
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Using the courts to interpret laws in
favorable ways or to have laws declared
unconstitutional
Methods:
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Being a direct party
Providing legal representation to someone
else
Writing an “amicus curiae brief”
What do you think???
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Pluralism
Hyperpluralism
Elitism