Interest Groups: Where Do They Come From?

1. Interest Groups:Where Do They Come From?

2. Madison, Federalist #10 • “By a faction I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community.”

3. What is an “interest group”? • “Organized group of people that makes policy-related appeals to government” • Focus is on policy, not personnel • Interest Group v. Political Party

4. Examples of Interest Groups • American Civil Liberties Union • National Right to Life • Amnesty International • United Auto Workers • National Council of Churches • General Motors • University of North Texas (ahem)

5. Effect of Interest Groups on Democratic Process • Pluralism • Groups distill and organize political discourse • Groups are reflection of the electorate, just refined • Alternatives to pluralism • Elitism: some interests not represented, especially the poor • Hyperpluralism: interest groups get in the way • Polarizing effect • Always under foot

6. Analogy • Pluralism: Interest group voices are a symphony • Elitism: Our symphony is all woodwinds • Hyperpluralism: The instruments in our symphony are not playing the same piece of music, so we have noise rather than music

7. What does an interest group need to operate? • Leadership / Decision-making structure • Financial structure • Membership dues • Voluntary contributions • Sales of goods/services • People

8. Impediments to Interest Group Formation • Collective Action Problem • Free Rider Problem

9. So How Do Interest Groups Form? • Political entrepreneurs • Small group, high stakes

10. How Do Groups Attract Members? • Coercion – make membership mandatory • Selective benefits • Informational benefits • Material benefits • Solidary benefits • Purposive benefits

11. Who joins? • Similar to demographics of “who votes” • Wealth • Education • Social status (white collar jobs) • Why? • Resources • Social capital • Pre-existing networks • Skill in seeking out groups

12. How Do Interest Groups Operate? • What strategies do interest groups employ to influence government policies? • General categories: • Lobbying • Cultivating Access • Mobilization • Electioneering • Litigation

13. Lobbying • Power of persuasion • Public affairs firms and professional “lobbyists” • Forms of lobbying: • Door-to-door lobbying and “junkets” • Drafting model legislation • Testifying before Congress/agencies

14. Cultivating Access • Part of the lobbying process – gaining and maintaining the trust of decision-makers • Methods for gaining access • Hiring insiders • Junkets / travel expenses • “Repeat players” • Patterns of access • Iron triangles • Issue networks

15. Mobilization • “Going public” – building public support of your position and demonstrating that support to decision-makers • Methods: • Institutional advertising • Public education • Grassroots mobilization (letter-writing, etc.) • Direct action / “social movements”

16. Electioneering • Affecting policy by affecting elections • Methods: • Ballot initiatives • Mobilizing voters • Endorsing candidates • Political action committees • “Issue advocacy” (the dreaded 527 organization)

17. Litigation • Using the courts to interpret laws in favorable ways or to have laws declared unconstitutional • Methods: • Being a direct party • Providing legal representation to someone else • Writing an “amicus curiae brief”

18. What do you think??? • Pluralism • Hyperpluralism • Elitism