Interest Groups
Reasons For Joining
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Irrationality of joining a groups
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A. Single person will probably not make much of a difference
B. Person will probably receive benefits from the group
anyway, e.g., an elderly person joining AARP will benefit
from the groups lobbying efforts whether they join or
not”free rider” problem- need for groups to offer
incentives for people to join
Types of Incentives:
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A. Material benefits, e.g., newsletters, t-shirts, mugs,
magazine
B. Purposive benefits, i.e., satisfaction that person has
done good thing in joining
C. Solidary benefits, i.e., social benefits of belonging to
group
Types of Interest Groups
1.Traditional: Goal to promote economic interests of its members
Types: agricultural (Amer. Farm Bureau), labor (AFL-CIO), business
(Chamber of Commerce), professional (AMA)
2.Nontraditional: goal to promote status of its members and to influence
gov’t actions (NAACP / NOW)
3. Single issue: goal to promote action on one overriding issue (MADD,
NRA, PETA)--groups are polarizing
4. Public Interest: goal to bring about good policy for society as a whole
(Common Cause-campaign finance reform, League of Women
Voters- encourages people to be informed and vote)
501©(3) groups: tax exempt and cannot be involved in election campaigns.
Ex. American Cancer Society, FBLA)
Types (Cont’d)
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Ideological: goal to convince gov’t to implement
policies that are consistent with their philosophies
(ACLU, Christian Coalition, People for the American
Way, Free Congress Foundation, “think tanks” such
as Heritage Foundation or Brookings Institute)
Governmental, e.g., National Association of
Governors
PAC’s (covered later)
Growth of Interest Groups
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Interest Groups – groups w/ common interest seeking to
influence gov’t
Madison’s Dilemma: wanting both liberty/order: allowing
people to form groups and express views could destroy orderly
society (Political Factions were inevitable---need to control
effects. Geographically large republic is more likely to cure
“mischief of factions.”)
Pluralism: growth of interest groups prevents concentration of
excessive power in hands of a few, and thus enhances
democracy---rebuttal that groups do not have equal resources
and equal access
Reasons For Growth
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Tocqueville’s description of American propensity for joining groups
Economic Development. E.g., farm problems-- the Grange
Gov’t Policies. Whenever gov’t creates an agency, it acts as an entry
point for groups who need to protect interest in agency activity
Diversity of populationcountless social, racial,economic and
geographic differences
Diffusion of Power in gov’t. Political power share by many –more
places in which groups can argue case leads to more groups
Weakness of political parties: when parties are unable to get
things done, interest groups have filled the power vaccum
Reforms of 1970’s opened up and brought out into open the lobbying
process (FECA and explosion of PAC’s)
When interest groups form, there will be another group to counter
it (Planned Parenthood v. National Right to Life)
Technology, e.g., computerized mailing lists to solicit funds, use of
media and communications
Factors Influencing Interest Group
Strength
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Size
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More members=more money, more votes (ie. AARP)
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More members means greater diversity among members, less
focus
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Spread, ie., degree to which membership is concentrated or dispersed
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Cohesiveness: degree to which members are committed to “the
cause”, e.g., members who join solely for getting a good deal on life
insurance would be less committed then members who joined b/c they
deeply believe in “the cause.”
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Leadership
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Resources, e.g., money, expertise, reputation, connections
Tactics of Interest Groups
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Use of Mass Media
Boycotting, e.g., NOW’s boycott of states that failed to ratify ERA, civil
rights groups boycotting S. Carolina for flying Confederate flag at state
capital
Litigation
Use of “amicus curiae briefs”, e.g., disabled groups filing on behalf of
PGA golfer Casey Martin, NAACP filing on behalf of minorities
Campaign Contributions
Endorsement of Candidates
Targeting of “unfriendly candidates” (NCPAC in ‘80, moveon.org in
‘04)
Issuing of report cards to rate candidates
Initiative, referendum, and recall at state and local levels
Lobbying (more on this later)
Mass Mailings- new techniques of targeting specific segments of pop.