Interest Groups
Interest Representation
(Cont’d)
March 13th, 2003
What Interest Groups Do
-- Lobbying

tactics

quiet consultations



mobilizing public opinion



lobbying elected officials
lobbying bureaucratic officials
media campaigns
public demonstrations
the paradox of interest group influence

the most powerful interest groups are
often the most quiet!
Interest Groups and
Democracy

liberal democracy

pluralism
 as
long as individuals are free to
form interest groups, interest group
competition represents interests in
society
 groups do not have to be equal;
groups have to have equal
opportunity to compete
Interest Groups and
Democracy

majoritarian democratic critique of
interest group pluralism

interest group politics is grossly uneven


the paradox of interest group influence


well-financed, privileged interests hold the
advantage
the strongest interest groups (e.g.
economic interests) do not have to lobby
in order to have influence
interest group influence displaces the
influence of the general public

special interest groups
Interest Groups and
Democracy

elite democracy

interest group competition and
lobbying (even if grossly uneven) is
fine so long as...
 political
elites retain the power to
make overall decisions in the
general welfare
• the summation of all interest group
demands does not equal the general
welfare
Federal and Unitary
Systems
Territorial Representation in
Democratic Systems
March 13th, 2003
Organizing Territory
Options for Organizing Territory
Small
Unitary
Gov’ts
Large
Unitary
Gov’t
Organizing Territory

what is good about small, unitary
governments



close to the people
can represent specific needs of specific
area and groups (linguistic/ethnic) that live
within those areas
what is good about large, unitary
government?

may be more effective
• common security
• integrated economy

may protect against domination of minorities
by majorities
Options for Organizing Territory
Small
Unitary
Gov’ts
Confederation
Federalism
Large
Unitary
Gov’t
Options for Organizing Territory
Small
Unitary
Gov’ts
Confederation
Federalism
Large
Unitary
Gov’t
Unitary Government: may have different levels of government;
however, subordinate governments exist at the behest of the central
government
Options for Organizing Territory
Small
Unitary
Gov’ts
Confederation
Federalism
Large
Unitary
Gov’t
Unitary Government: may have different levels of government;
however, subordinate governments exist at the behest of the central
government
Confederation: sovereign governments band together and delegate
certain powers to a central government; constituent governments retain
the right to rescind this grant of power; central government exists at the
behest of constituent units
Options for Organizing Territory
Small
Unitary
Gov’ts
Confederation
Federalism
Large
Unitary
Gov’t
Unitary Government: may have different levels of government;
however, subordinate governments exist at the behest of the central
government
Confederation: sovereign governments band together and delegate
certain powers to a central government; constituent governments retain
the right to rescind this grant of power; central government exists at the
behest of constituent units
Federal Government: has two orders of government which are legally
independent from one another and sovereign within their respective
spheres of jurisdiction; neither exists at the behest of the other and
neither can take power away from the other
Federalism

24 federations of 180 sovereign
states

40% of world population
Options for Organizing Territory
Confederation
European
Union (EU)
Federalism
Argentina,
Australia,
Austria,
Belgium,
Brazil, Canada,
Germany,
India, Mexico,
Russia, South
Africa, Spain,
Switzerland,
US, Venezuela,
Yugoslavia
Unitary
Gov’t
France
United Kingdom
Italy
Federalism – What is It?


main elements
two orders of government


division of powers


NOT levels of government
constitutional grant of powers and
jurisdiction to each order of government
judicial review

court adjudicates between the two orders
of government
Federalism – Why?

always about representing
territorially-based interests that
would not be adequately
represented in a unitary system
while enjoying benefits of larger
system
Federalism – Variants

centralized and decentralized
federalism
Level of Centralization
Small
Unitary
Gov’ts
(Confederation)
Decentralized
Federation
Federalism
Large
Unitary
Gov’t
Centralized
Federation
Level of Centralization
Centralized
Federation
Decentralized
Federation
Canada
Switzerland
Australia
Germany
United States
Malaysia
Level of Centralization
Small
Unitary
Gov’ts
(Confederation)
Decentralized
US 1789
Federation
Canada 2002
Federalism
Large
Unitary
Gov’t
US 2002 Centralized
Federation
Canada 1867
Main Points!



federalism is not neutral
it is about emphasizing the
representation of territorially-based
interests (e.g. ethnic, religious,
linguistic) while de-emphasizing
those that are not
federalism in different countries is
designed to represent different
sets of territorially-based interests