Interest Groups Ch. 9 Fun facts: 64% of Americans believe the - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Interest Groups

• Ch. 9

• Fun facts:

– 64% of Americans believe “the government is run for the benefit of a few big interests” – 39% of Americans believe “special interests” are what’s most wrong with the government today

• Americans have always been suspicious of

“special interest politics”

– All the way back to Madison and factions

• Madison’s view is based on one big

assumption:

– There is a NATIONAL INTEREST – This makes any group working against the needs

• f the nation a real problem

BUT:

• What if that assumption is wrong?
• Challenge:

– Any student who comes with a policy or law that’s to everyone’s advantage gets an A in this class. – Seriously.

• Here’s the problem:

– In a large, diverse country, different interests ALWAYS conflict – It’s hard to speak of the “public interest” if there’s not really one “public”

• Ex: South Carolina & Myrtle Beach bike week

• Madison was right about:

– Democracy & freedom making group activity inevitable – Pursuit of self-interest being divisive – Government’s structure can limit the power of “factions”

• Difference between interest groups & parties:

– Political parties try to control the government

• Get their members elected to office

– Interest groups try to influence the government

• This process is called lobbying

• Interest groups & lobbying exist at all levels of

government:

– National -> NRA, MADD, ACLU – State -> SC Chamber of Commerce, SCEA – Local -> Florence Chamber of Commerce

• Neighborhood associations
• School boosters
• Arts associations

• Interest groups & political parties are similar

– Both are linkage institutions

• Def: Organizations that exist to connect individuals to

the government

GOVERNMENT INPUT OUTPUT FEEDBACK

• On the input side, groups provide:

– Political information and technical information

• Political information involves the “politics” of an issue

– Duh. – 2 types: 1. The scope of the issue 2. The salience of the issue

Pluralism

• Opposite Madison, some people came to

believe:

– Interest groups might play a positive role – Shouldn’t tear the country apart

• Why do groups form?

– Change! Social, economic, and political.

• Change is disruptive!
• Ex: Horses vs. cars

• To pluralists:

– People who have “suffered” because of changes form groups – They ask the gov’t for help with problems

• Ex: Women’s rights, civil rights

• In their view, Madison was wrong about

almost everything

– Things are always changing – So, there are always new winners and losers – New groups are constantly emerging

• This is ultimately a benefit!
• In the long term:

– One group’s needs get met – The “balance” might tip too far – New groups challenge them

Problem

• Why isn’t everyone represented?
• If pluralists are right, the least fortunate have

the most incentive to organize

– But we don’t see groups of the homeless, teenage mothers, drug addicts

Not quite.

• Difference between incentive to organize and

the ability to organize.

– Homeless people might need help, but might not be very good at organizing to get it

Critique of Pluralism

• Economists argued:

– Groups don’t “just form”

• Somebody has to start them

– Used ideas about business to explain group formation

• Businesses are started by entrepreneurs

– Def: an individual who uses her own resources to bring a product to the market – Motive = profit – Risk = failure, loss of investment

• “Interest group entrepreneurs” try to get

people to buy membership in the group

• Problem: buying a group membership is

different from buying something like a car

– Private vs. collective (public) goods

• Ex:

– Organization for Moms Financing underGrads (OMFG) – $30 / year for membership – Group wants $4000 tax credit for tuition

• Whether or not the group is successful, you

are better off NOT JOINING

• That’s the free-rider problem from chapter 1
• Interest group leaders must get past the free

rider problem to be successful

– How? – Must provide selective incentives

• Extra benefits to people who join group

• A skilled entrepreneur finds selective

incentives that appeal to potential members

– One who’s really good could find benefits that get people to join even if they disagree with the group’s purpose

• Seriously.
• I bet at least 2 of you belong to a group that:

• Lobbies for less safe cars –AND-
• More pollution

• People don’t join AAA because they love smog

– The services are so good – Members might not even realize the group lobbies

• That’s slick

National Rifle Association

• Membership costs $27 / year

– Benefits:

• Choice of 4 magazine subscriptions
• $10,000 life insurance
• $1,000 firearms insurance
• Hotel / rental car discounts
• Prescription drug plan
• Discounted LASIK surgery

– Pretty good bargain

• Problem:

– Money spent on selective incentives is money that can’t be spent on lobbying – Most groups are on limited budgets

• Solution:

– Find incentives that are appealing AND cheap!

3 Types of Selective Incentives

• 1. Material incentives

– Actual “stuff”

• 2. Purposive incentives

– Satisfaction from helping a “worthy cause”

• 3. Solidary incentives

– Networking, companionship, social benefits