INTEREST GROUPS
AP Government
INTEREST GROUPS
Interest Group
 An interest group is an organization of people with similar policy goals who enter the political process
to try to achieve a particular policy goal
Single-issue groups
 These are groups that have a narrow interest, tend to dislike compromise, and often draw membership
from people new to politics
 Anti-gun groups, anti-war groups, PETA and other such groups fit this mold
Public interest lobbies
 These are organizations that seek a collective good, the achievement of which will not selectively and
materially benefit the membership or activists of the organization
POLITICAL THEORIES
There are 3 important theories regarding interest groups and how they function.
Those theories are pluralism, elitism, and hyperpluralism.
PLURALISM
Pluralism argues that interest group activity brings representation to everyone.
 Pluralism consists of:
 providing a key link between people and government
 competition between other interest groups
 no groups are likely to become dominant
 groups usually play by the rules of the game
 groups weak in one resource can use another
ELITISM
Elitism argues that a few groups (primarily the wealthy) have most of the power in
government
 The elitist theory states that:
 the number of groups that exist doesn't matter as power is distributed unequally
 Incredible amounts of power are held by the largest corporations
 The power of the few truly powerful groups are locked in by extensive systems of interlocking directorates
 Though small groups may win minor policy battles, corporate elites will always win with big decisions
HYPERPLURALISM
Hyperpluralists believe that too many groups are getting too much of what they want
 This results in government policy that is often contradictory and lacking in direction
 It is the belief of hyperpluralists that because we are trying to appease every interest group, we begin
having issues with an overabundance of conflicting regulation and an overextended budget
Hyperpluralism is supported by the concept of the iron triangle
SUCCESS OF INTEREST GROUPS
Interest groups that are smaller tend to have organizational advantages over larger
interest groups
 A potential group is composed of all people who might be group members because they share some
common interest
 An actual group is composed of those in the potential group who choose to join
 These actual groups have the ability to get things done more efficiently than the whole group because they have more
maneuverability and have more people who are willing to fight for their cause
GOODS
Interest groups are interested in providing what is called a collective good
 A collective good is something of value that cannot be withheld from either the potential or the actual
group members
 One problem with collective goods exists when there are those who benefit from that good, but do
nothing to help it succeed
 This problem is known as the free rider problem.
In order to overcome the free-rider problem, many organizations setup selective
benefits
 These are goods that a group can restrict to those who pay their yearly dues
SHAPING PUBLIC POLICY
Lobbying is classified as communication, by someone other than a citizen acting on his
or her own behalf, directed to a governmental decision maker with the hope of
influencing his or her decision
 Lobbyists are important for the following reasons:
 They are an important source of information
 They can help politicians with political strategy for getting legislation through Congress
 They can help formulate campaign strategy and get the group's members behind a politician's reelection campaign
 They are a source of ideas and innovations
TYPES OF INTEREST GROUPS
There are many different types of interest groups
 Labor, Business, Environmental, Equality, Consumer Interest
Business interest groups are the fastest growing types of interest groups
LABOR PRACTICES

Within labor practices there are certain union policies that exist

Union shops require that new employees join the union in order to retain their employment

Other business groups have supported right-to-work laws, which outlaw union membership as a condition of employment
ELECTIONEERING
The shaping of policy also involves electioneering
 Electioneering is the process of aiding candidates financially and getting group members out to
support them.
 Political action committees, or PACs, also provide an avenue for the support of policy and specific
candidates.