Political Science 17 . 20 Introduction to American Politics - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

▶

Feb 10, 2024 28 likes •159 views

Political Science 17 . 20 Introduction to American Politics Professor Devin Caughey MIT Department of Political Science Money and Organized Interests Lecture 23 (May 7, 2013) 1 / 12 Outline Groups and Politics 1 Groups and Politicians 2 2

SLIDE 1

Political Science 17.20 Introduction to American Politics

Professor Devin Caughey

MIT Department of Political Science

Money and Organized Interests Lecture 23 (May 7, 2013)

1 / 12

SLIDE 2

Outline

1 2

Groups and Politics Groups and Politicians

2 / 12

SLIDE 3

Outline

1 2

Groups and Politics Groups and Politicians

3 / 12

SLIDE 4

“Special Interests” vs. “Public Interest”

We like to contrast “special interests” with the “public interest,” but this distinction is largely illusory—there is no single public interest, esp. when aggregating across all issues. Many different ways of aggregating: partisan politics (coalition of intense policy demanders) vs. interest-group politics (issue by issue)

rganized vs. unorganized

4 / 12

SLIDE 5

Pluralism

Groups form naturally to defend their interests (“disturbance”) Fragmented, permeable structure of U.S. government and (then) weak parties → pluralist politics: bargaining among the relevant groups No single class dominates; policy mostly resolved by stakeholders.

5 / 12

SLIDE 6

Critiques of Pluralism

Schattsneider: upper-class accent Gaventa: quiescence taken for consent Olsen: collective action problem means that groups will not spontaneously organize expressive, solidary, and selective benefits

6 / 12

SLIDE 7

Who Organizes?

Small, concentrated groups with intense preferences Rule by intense minorities (ethanol) Sponsorship by outside actors (philanthopists, government) Decline of broadly based, participatory, cross-class

rganizations

7 / 12

SLIDE 8

Outline

1 2

Groups and Politics Groups and Politicians

8 / 12

SLIDE 9

What Do Organized Groups Offer Politicians?

Groups offer politicians electorally valuable resources: Votes Labor Information Money (Personal interest decidedly secondary.)

9 / 12

SLIDE 10

The Puzzle of Money in Politics

Endogeneity: donate because support, or support because donate? Little evidence of changing votes Why so little money? marginal return must be low. Consumers vs. investors, collective action Consumers can still bias politics (weighted votes) Get nowhere without money The market as prison

10 / 12

SLIDE 11

Lobbying

Changing votes is hard—lobby supporters participation—"buying time" subsidizing work (writing bills, coordinating support, providing information and rhetoric)

11 / 12

SLIDE 12

How Do Interest Groups Change Politics?

Politics is biased in favor of well-organized groups that can provide electorally valuable resources (yes votes, but also money). Baseline: all citizens counted equally But how to account for differential intensity? Are campaign finance regulations a violation of free speech?

12 / 12

SLIDE 13

MIT OpenCourseWare http://ocw.mit.edu

17.20 Introduction to American Politics

Spring 2013 For information about citing these materials or our Terms of Use, visit: http://ocw.mit.edu/terms.