Presentation Transcript

1. INTEREST ARTICULATIONChapter 4 Comparative Politics
2. INTEREST ARTICULATION The way people and groups express their needs and demands to the government Contacting a city council member Contacting your representatives or senators State level National level Interest groups Lobbyists
3. Citizen Action Methods citizens can use to make their interests and needs known to policymakers Voting (SPLOST to U.S. President) Informal group (Homeowners Association) Direct contact on a personal matter (Healthcare problems – Medicare benefits) Direct contact on a policy issue (working on a campaign to promote and issue) Protest activity (Occupy Wall Street) Political Consumerism (boycotting products produced in certain countries)
4. How Citizens Participate Voting During elections citizens participate in Discussion of current issues with families and friends Attend meetings Contribute to campaigns Talk to pollsters Taking part in Grassroots politics People work together to address a common problem
5. Participated in a political party activity Join a political party Go to a campaign fund raising event Participated in a citizen interest group NRA Signed a petition Participated in a lawful protest demonstration Occupy Woodruff Park
6. Interest Groups Anomic Groups Spontaneous groups that suddenly form when many individuals react to an event that stimulates frustration, disappointment, or other strong emotions These spontaneous protests often result in violence Assassination of a leader Protests against dictators in the Arab world Occupy Woodruff Park Police violence caught on video Los Angeles in the 1990s Iran a couple of years ago (young girl protesting beaten to death)
7. Nonassociational Groups Usually not well organized and activity is sporadic Differ from anomic groups because nonassociational groups are based on Common interests Ethnicity Region Religion Occupation kinship
8. Two kinds of Nonassociational groups Collective Action Problem Large group No formal organization Members think they have common interests Members share a common problem, but no one wants to truly organize a group Small Village (aka: economic or ethnic subgroup) Know each other personally Can be highly effective in certain situations Well connected members Can remain informal if goals are overall unpopular Actions they may take Work stoppages Petitions
9. Institutional Groups Formal with other political and social functions Political parties Business corporations Legislatures Armies Bureaucracies Churches Examples in the U.S. Military U.S. Department of Defense Defense Industries that support the military Farm Lobby U.S. Department of Agriculture F.D.A
10. Nonpolitical Institutional Groups Worldwide Roman Catholic Church urges members on how to vote on various issues Arabic Nations Islamic fundamentalists urge member on how to vote on various issues
11. Associational Groups (aka Interest Groups/Lobbyests) Formed specifically to represent the interests of a particular group Trade unions Chambers of Commerce Manufacturers’ associations Ethnic associations Employ full-time professional staff
12. Labor Unions Lobby for interests of the majority of the middle class Business Associations Lobby for the corporate interests of the nation Citizens united by belief in a common political ideology or policy goal – they may come from different socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds Tree Huggers Feminists Greenpeace Amnesty International
13. Civic Organizations Rotary Club Lions Club Jaycees Junior League Why do we need to know about the different types of groups? It’s nature reflects it’s resources It’s nature reflects it’s tactics It’s nature suggests what types of interests are more likely to get a hearing in the political system and which will be underrepresented.
14. Civil Society A society where people are involved in social and political interactions free of state control or regulations Community groups Voluntary associations Religious groups Socialization into the types of groups listed above can help get people involved in politics An active public involved in various interest groups provides a fertile ground for the development of democratic politics
15. As the nations globalize economically people with common interests are connected. Helps build civic goals worldwide Environmental groups Eastern Europe is struggling due to previous communist oppression Arab nations are struggling due to previous religious oppressions brought on by theocratic governments
16. Interest Group Systems Pluralist Interest Group Systems Multiple groups may represent a single societal interest Different labor unions united under one Labor Union lobbying organization Each individual union vies for membership, but they share many common goals
17. Democratic Neo-Corporatist Interest Group Systems A single peak association normally represents each societal interest They regularly and legitimately work with the government agencies and political parties as partners in negotiating solutions to policy problems Membership in the peak association is often compulsory and nearly universal In some developed nations, labor union membership is beginning to decline In some developing nations, labor union members is compulsory in an attempt to bond the people together and create a sense of unity in government participation
18. Peak associations are centrally organized and direct the actions of their members U.S., Great Britain, and France have fragmented labor union membership due to the decline Austria, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, & Sweden have very high membership and are centrally organized Groups are often systematically involved in making and implementing policy German labor unions have formal membership on many government commissions special access to policy administration and are very influential through informal channels of influence
19. Controlled Interest Group Systems There is a single group for each social sector Membership is often compulsory Each group is normally hierarchically organized Groups are controlled by the government or its agents in order to mobilize support for government policy
20. Access to the Influential Channels of Political Access Legitimate Channels Personal Connections Family Work Education Mass Media Television Radio Newspapers Magazines
21. Political Parties Rely on interest groups for financial and voter support Legislatures Lobbying Bureaucracies A leader in a bureaucratic group who is sympathetic to a cause may try to use his/her position to help the cause Lawful Protests
22. Coercive Access Channels and Tactics Violence People who feel helpless and deprived often act aggressively (Arab revolts in 2011) People will turn to violence if they feel it is justified and it will lead to success (Libya 2011) Riots Spontaneous expression of anger and dissatisfaction by a group of citizens Rioters vary greatly in motivation, behavior, and social background Most riots follow the same patterns Destruction or violence is kept to one area or target Relative deprivation appears to be a major cause of riots
23. Political Terror Tactics Deliberate assassinations (Yitzak Rabin) Armed attacks (al-Qaeda) Mass bloodshed (suicide bombers) Usually produces negative attitudes and impeded the changes the group is hoping to bring about – duh!
24. Policy Perspectives on Interest Articulation
25. Interest Group Development Interest groups develop due to modernization Better education Urbanization Rapid growth in public communication Improvement in the physical conditions of life Diversity of life conditions Specialization of labor All of the above lead to an interdependence of modern life facilitated by mass communication