“In no country in the world
has the principle of
association been more
successfully used…
than in America.”
James Madison,
Federalist 10:
Factions are inevitable but a
large republic best controls them.
The Role of Interest Groups

Interest group



An organization of people with shared policy
goals that try to influence the political process
to achieve those goals
More than 100,000 in U.S. today
What are the 3 characteristics?
1. Shared interests and goals
2. Organized structure
3. Want to influence policy
• Lobbyists hired and PACs formed
The Role of Interest Groups
Why are there so many in the U.S.?
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The more religious, cultural, and regional lines in society,
the greater the variety of interests that will exist.
American constitutional system allows for a federal,
decentralized system which creates multiple points that
groups can access the gov’t
Right to join a group is protected by the 1st amendment
Often spawned by social movements (women’s rights,
civil rights, immigrants, etc.)
Single-issue interest groups are generally more
effective than multi-issue groups -Why?
Who joins interest groups?



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Usually higher income
Usually higher education level
Incentives to join:
•
•
•
Solidarity: Sense of status, pleasure, companionship
that arises out of meeting together in small groups.
Face-to-face contact important, so organize in small
local groups = League of Women Voters, PTA,
Rotary Club
• Activities of interest groups at state levels have
been growing much faster than at the national level
Material: Receive money or other valued group or
service from membership = AARP supply low cost
insurance, discount drugs, travel
Purposeful: A reason for supporting group activities
based on agreement with the goals of the group
• Occupy, Abortion, Gun control, Environment
Interest Groups vs.
Political Parties
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Interest groups are distinct from parties –
how?
Political parties fight election battles – they
try to get candidates elected to office
Interest groups try to influence public policy
but do not run candidates for office; they
don’t have to try to appeal to everyone
Which one is a policy specialist?
 Interest
groups
 Political parties are policy generalists.
Theories of Interest Group Politics

Pluralist Theory
 Politics
is mainly a competition among groups, each
one pressing for its own preferred policies; all get
voices heard – a good thing.

Elite Theory
 Societies
are divided along class lines and an upperclass elite rules, regardless of the formal niceties of
governmental organization.

Hyperpluralist Theory
 Groups
are so strong that government is weakened
by trying to please all. This is an extreme,
exaggerated form of pluralism.
Theories of Interest Group Politics

Pluralism and Group Theory
 Groups
provide a key link between the people
and the government – provides representation
to all.
 Groups compete and no one group will become
too dominant – they counterbalance each other.
 Groups play by the “rules of the game.”
 Groups weak in one resource may use another.
 Lobbying is open to all so is not a problem that
some groups may be stronger.
Theories of Interest Group Politics:

Elites and the Denial of Pluralism
-
Real power is held by the relatively few majority of public in recent years seems to agree
 with this view.
 - The largest corporations hold the most power.
 - Elite power is fortified by a system of interlocking
directorates of these corporations and other
institutions.
 - Other groups may win many minor policy battles,
but elites prevail on big policy decisions.
 - Lobbying is a problem because it benefits the few
at the expense of the many.
Theories of Interest Group Politics:
Hyperpluralism


The Hyperpluralist Critique
 Groups have become too powerful as the government
tries to appease every interest – too many groups are
getting too much.
 Trying to please all results in contradictory policies.
 “Interest group liberalism” – government tries to appease
all, government agencies grow & prosper, conflicting
regulations expand, programs multiply & the budget
skyrockets!
 Many subgovernments (iron triangles) aggravate the
process.
Subgovernments – a/k/a iron triangles


Networks of groups that exercise a great deal of control over specific
policy areas.
Consist of interest groups, government agency, and congressional
committees that handle particular policies
“IRON TRIANGLE” OR
“SUB-GOVERNMENTS”
What Makes an Interest
Group Successful?
What Makes an Interest
Group Successful?
Money, size, leadership, cohesiveness, ability to rally support

MONEY!
 Not
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all groups have equal amounts of money.
Political Action Committees (PACs)
Big money associations (AMA, ABA, etc.)
 Monetary
donations usually translate into access to
the politicians, such as a phone call, meeting, or
support for policy.
 Wealthier groups have more resources—and
presumably more access—but they do not always win
on policy.
What Makes an Interest
Group Successful?
SIZE
 The Surprising Ineffectiveness of Large
Groups

 Potential
group: all the people who might be
interest group members because they share a
common interest (AARP-all retired persons)
 Actual group: the part of the potential group
consisting of members who actually join
(AARP-only those who join & pay dues)
 Collective good: something of value that cannot
be withheld from a group member (clean air, higher
minimum wage, etc.)
What Makes an Interest
Group Successful?

Free-Rider Problem
 Some
people don’t join interest groups because they
benefit from the group’s activities without officially
joining.
 Bigger the group, larger the problem
 Large groups are difficult to organize

Olson’s law of large groups:
 “The
larger the group, the further it will fall short of
providing an optimal amount of a collective good.”
 Overcome Olson’s law by providing selective
benefits: Goods that a group can restrict to those
who pay their annual dues – e.g., AARP

Selective Benefits of AARP:
 Information
publications, travel discounts, group
insurance rates, etc.
 Not an actual member, don’t get the benefits
What Makes an Interest
Group Successful?
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
ORGANIZATIONAL FEATURES:
Small groups are better organized and more
focused on the group’s goals.
 Multinational
corporations are successful because
there are few of them and, therefore, have an easier
time organizing for political action.
 Consumer groups have a difficult time getting
significant policy gains because the benefits are
spread over the entire population.

Leadership – goes a long way!
 Charlton Heston - NRA

Actor identifiable with powerful roles
What Makes an Interest
Group Successful?

Intensity!!! (Cohesiveness)
 How
quickly can the group rally support?
 Single-Issue groups are more successful:
groups that focus on a narrow interest, dislike
compromise, and often draw membership
from people new to politics
 Groups may focus on an emotional issue,
providing them with a psychological
advantage --- e.g., NOW.
 Intensity encourages non-conventional means
of participation, i.e.—protests---ABORTION! -PETA
The Interest Group Explosion
How Groups Try to Shape Policy

Note: their success may be in blocking policy rather
than actually persuading Congress to pass policy

The key to success is ACCESS to government
officials!
 Interest

groups provide gov’t
officials with sources of info
and assistance
 Gov’t officials provide interest
groups with opportunities to
express their views
Work to cultivate long-term relationships with
government officials.
How Groups Try to Shape Policy
DIRECT TECHNIQUES:
Lobbying, publicizing ratings of political behavior, building
coalitions, providing campaign assistance.
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#1 - Lobbying
 Lobbyists are political persuaders
who represent organized groups –
they provide info to Congress!
Origin of term?
Two basic types of lobbyists:
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Full-time, paid employees of a group
Temporary hires
Two types of lobbying:
 Direct – overtly trying to influence policy choices; very effective –
minimizes understanding
 Indirect – trying to influence a 3rd party or the general public to
adopt the group’s position
Roles/Methods of Lobbyists:
Groups maintain offices near the Capitol
 Some common lobbying activities:

 Gain
Access - Private meetings with officials
Testifying
before Congress and
Executive Branch agencies:
(they’re policy specialists!)

Lobbying Congressional aides and staff
 Can
be most lucrative

Lobbyists are regulated – they have to register
with Congress and disclose fees.

Protest and civil disobedience are also methods
used.
Lobbyists also assist in drafting legislation
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Lobbyists assist Congressmen by providing information,
political and campaign strategy, supplying nominations for
federal appointments in the Executive Branch and serving
as a source of new ideas and innovation.
They also rate legislators in how well they do in passing and
implementing policy favorable to the interest group.
How Groups Shape Policy
#2 – Electioneering
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Endorsing candidates
 $ and group support for candidates
Getting the right people into office and/or keeping them
there is key strategy of sigs
Groups form PACs to give $
 608 IN 1974 - 3,877 IN 2008
 In recent elections, nearly half of House of Reps got
majority of their campaign funds from PACs
PACs give heavily to incumbents- WHY?
PACs (legal under the Federal Elections Campaign Act)
can give $5,000 to each candidate in a primary or a
general election
How Groups Shape Policy
#3 – Litigation
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If legislative efforts fail, go to the Courts
Environmental groups have had much success this way
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Most famous use of litigation?
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CIVIL RIGHTS – Brown, etc.
Groups also write “amicus curiae” (friend of the court)
briefs
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Clean Air Act, etc.
Written arguments by non-parties to the case to support one
side of a case
Also, groups file class action lawsuits
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Allows a group of similarly situated plaintiffs to combine similar
grievances into a single lawsuit
Very effective way to remedy mass wrongs
How Groups Shape Public Policy
#4 – Going Public (Indirect Technique)
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Groups make a direct appeal
to public opinion to help their
cause
Groups consistently work on
their public relations image
Methods of appealing to public
opinion:
 running
advertisements, polls,
phone, maintaining a web site
Types of Interest Groups
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ECONOMIC INTERESTS
 Most prolific type
 Labor – AFL-CIO!
 Agriculture
 Business
 Professionals
ENVIRONMENTAL INTERESTS
EQUALITY INTERESTS
CONSUMER AND PUBLIC INTEREST LOBBIES
 Ralph Nader – Consumer Reports!
 Public Interest lobbies seek collective goods and
services
INTEREST
GROUPS
Chapter 11