Gov Ch. 10

Lobbying

According to Lester Milbrath, a "communication, by someone other than a citizen acting on his or her own behalf, directed to a governmental decision maker with the hope of influencing his or her decision." In other words, lobbyists are political persuaders who represent organized groups. They usually work in Washington, handling groups' legislative business.

Actual group and Selective benefits

Actual group: The people in the potential group who actually join. Selective benefits: Goods that a group can restrict to those who actually join. Selective benefits are goods that a group can restrict to those who pay their yearly dues, such as information publications, travel discounts, and group interest rates. This directly impacts the actual groups as it might provide incentive for potential members.

Potential group

All the people who might be interest group members because they share some common interest. Groups vary enormously in the degree in which they enroll their potential membership. Consumer organizations are successful in mobilizing only a small fraction of those who might benefit from their efforts.

Interest groups

An organization of people with shared policy goals entering the policy process at several points to try to achieve those goals. Interest refers to a policy goal and a group is a combination of people. Whatever their groups interest groups pursue them in many arenas, including every level of government.

Collective good and Free-rider problem

Collective good: Something of value that cannot be withheld from a potential group member. Free-rider problem: For a group, the problem of people not joining because they can benefit from the group's activities without joining. The bigger the potential group, the more serious the free-rider problem. One reason for this is that in small group shares of the collective good are more likely to be great enough to give the potential members an incentive to join the group to help secure its goal.

Electioneering

Direct group involvement in the electoral process, for example, by helping to fund campaigns , getting member to work for candidates, and forming political action committees. A means for interest groups to participate in electioneering is provided by political action committee (PACs). No major interest group seeking to exert influence on the political process these days can pass up the opportunity to funnel money honestly and openly into the campaign coffer of its supporters.

Single-issue groups

Groups that have a narrow interest, tend to dislike compromise, and often draw membership from people new to politics. Anti-Vietnam War activists may have formed the first modern single-issue group. Opponents of nuclear power plants, of gun control, and of abortion are some of the many such groups that exist today.

How Groups Try to Shape Policy (4)

Lobbying: directed at government decision maker Electioneering: direct involvement Litigation: go to the court Going public: cultivate public image Lobbyists are very important as they are an important source of information and help politicians with political strategy for getting legislation through. Also, hey can help formulate campaign strategy and get the group's members behind a politician's reelection campaign and are a source of ideas and innovations. Because lobbying works best with those already on the same side, many groups get involved in electioneering. If interest groups fail in Congress then they go to Court and they also are interested in the opinions of the public.

Iron triangles

Subgovernments are composed of interest group leaders interested in a particular policy, the government agency in charge of administering that policy, and the members of congressional committees and subcommittees handling that policy; they exercise a great deal of control over specific policy areas. All the elements of the iron triangle have the same goal: protecting their self-interest. The subgovernment in educational policy provides a good example (National Education Association, the Coalition for Educational Success, etc.).

Types of Interest Groups (4)

There are four types of interest groups: economic interests, environmental interests, equality interests, and consumer and other public interest lobbies. The economic interest group includes labor and business; it also includes unions such as the teacher's union. The environmental interest group encompasses environmentalists such as the Sierra Club and the Audubon Society. The equality interest groups represent women and minorities. Lastly, the consumer and other public interest group campaign various causes or ideas "in the public interest." Interest groups are omnipresent in the American political system. Political scientists loosely clusters interest groups in economic issues, environmental concerns, equality issues, or the interests of consumers and the public generally.