interest groups in texas govt 2306. along with political parties, interest groups are private...
TRANSCRIPT
Interest Groups in Texas
GOVT 2306
Along with political parties, interest groups are private organizations that attempt to influence public policies.
But they do so without seeking public office, so they do not have to deal with
the electoral rules that condition the nature of political parties.
Rather than only having two major political parties, there are thousands of groups in
the state that focus on the needs of discreet, isolated groups within the state.
In addition, there are national interest groups within the state that tie the
interests of state residents with those of the nation as a whole.
Useful External Reading:
Texas Politics: Interest Groups
Also,
From the Texas Tribune Topics
Interest Groups
What are interest groups?
There are many definitions, here’s one from the
Encyclopedia Britannica.
“interest group, also called special interest group or pressure group, any association of individuals or organizations, usually formally
organized, that, on the basis of one or more shared concerns, attempts
to influence public policy in its favor.”
James Madison noted the tendency of people to form groups, as well as the fact that in a free society these groups must exist, and will be
clustered around the various interests that exist in society at any moment in
time.
He called them factions. Here is his definition of factions:
“By a faction, I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a 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.”
This is a critical point:
Interest groups exist because the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution
guarantees both the right of people to peacefully assemble, and to petition
the government for a redress of grievances.
One quick point however:
Madison doesn’t say anything about what these factions would actually look like. Todays interest groups are organized groups with staffs and funding sources, not ad-
hoc groups.
There are a large number of interest groups in Texas.
Generally we assume that the number of interest groups that
exist in the state corresponds to the number of interests that exist
in the state.
This reflects the concept of pluralism.
Interest groups are a consequence of individual freedom.
But they can pose a major problem for democracies.
Madison warned against the evolution of majority factions since they could turn
democracies into tyrannies.
He suggested that large number of interests would divide these majority
groups into smaller segments and make majority tyranny less likely to occur.
But this comes at a price
The more interest groups that exist, the less dynamic government
can become.
A minority group “may clog the administration” and “convulse the
society.” Either option is better than tyranny, but it does have
consequences.
1 - It can lead to gridlock
2 – It can lead to unresponsive government
The principle problem is that connected groups may be able to establish politics
that benefit them and make it difficult for those policies to be changed.
This can make it difficult for changes to be made since those changes might
jeopardize the benefits already received by groups.
Mancur Olson, in a book entitled the Rise and Decline of Nations, argued that as societies develop,
strong special interest lobbies evolve that make them less
efficient and dynamic.
“The thesis of this brilliant book is that the longer a society enjoys
political stability, the more likely it is to develop powerful special-
interest lobbies that in turn make it less efficient economically.”
Jonathan Rauch builds on this idea and calls it Demosclerosis.
He argues that the rise of interest groups has led to a type of paralysis in government.
Demosclerosis is democratic government's progressive loss of
the ability to adapt.
Once programs are established, groups that benefit from them
coalesce around the programs and do what they can to keep it in
place as is.
Any change can jeopardize their interests.
As we will see below, interest groups (the good ones) are able to
cobble relationships with the principle actors involved in a
program that benefits them, and this is the mechanism that
enhances and maintains their interests.
Next Topic
What Kinds of Interest Groups Exist?
There are many ways to categorize interest groups – no one is
necessarily better than any other.
Its not like our ability to categorize governing institutions into those that are legislative, executive, or
judicial in function.
For lists you might want to look at these:
- Tannahill- Cliff’s Notes
- X-Roads - Pearson
They types of interest groups that exist mirrors they types of
interests that exist in the state – and by extension the nation.
Tannahill’s list is typical, he cites the following:
Business Groups and Trade AssociationsProfessional Associations
Organized LaborAgricultural Groups
Racial and Ethnic Minority GroupsReligious Groups
A simpler way to approach this question is to divide groups into these
two types: public and private.
The simple difference between the two is that public groups address issues that are common to everyone (like clean air and education) while private groups address issues that benefit their members (like
business and professional organizations and labor unions).
With that in mind: all groups like to argue that the benefits they receive will at least indirectly
benefit the public welfare.
An example of a Texas private interest group:
Texas Business Alliance
Which some argue may be the most powerful interest group in the state.
Sometimes drawing a precise distinction between public and
private groups is difficult.
Texans for Lawsuit Reform can be considered to be both a public
interest group and a private group.
Limits on lawsuits are argued to enhance business opportunities and the jobs that come with it, which benefits the overall
economy, but it provides specific benefits for businesses that engage in enterprises
that make them subject to lawsuits.
Why does this distinction matter?
Because it tells us something about the dynamics of group formation, even
though we are a majoritarian democracy, the larger groups may be less powerful than the smaller groups.
1 - Organize individuals with similar interests
2 - Organize electoral competition
3 - Organize government
4 - Link the state and local political system to the national political system.
Let’s look at each in turn:
1 - Organize individuals with similar interests
While people may have a shared interest in some matter, that is seldom enough. Interest do not
speak for themselves. There has to be an organized method in place to
represent those interests.
But this can be difficult to do.
Problem: Not all interests are easily converted into groups.
Not every group can easily overcome the free rider problem.
Here’s the basic question presented by the Free Rider
Problem:
Why work for collectively for a groups’ goals if you will benefit from it even if you don’t do any work? If the benefit
can’t be separated between those who contribute and those who do not.
If you’ve ever tried to organize a group of people you know this.
There is little need to join a group, if you will benefit from the group’s
efforts even if you do not contribute. But if everyone thinks this way, the group will not form,
and its objectives will not be reached.
For a more thorough definitions of the Free Rider Problem: Stanford
In order for a group to be formed, there has to be a driving force
making it happen.
A political entrepreneur has to develop incentives for people to
join the group. They have to convince members to avoid the
temptation to free rider.
Notable Policy Entrepreneurs:
Richard Mellon ScaifeJames Leininger
This person has to figure out how best to overcome the free rider
problem that prevents individuals that have a common interest from working together to achieve that
interest.
Olson pointed out that these individuals provide selective benefits to individuals
that they would not be able to get if they were not members of the group and did
not participate to further the group’s objectives.
A selective benefit is a reward or punishment that fosters cooperation among a group of people who might
otherwise free ride.
There are four basic types of Selective Incentives
MaterialPurposiveSolidary
Informational
Material
Members are encouraged to join because they will receive material
benefits if they do so. Jobs or business opportunities for
example.
Purposive
Joining the group helps one advance a grand “purpose” such as cleaner air, greater public morality, or some other intangible reward.
Solidary
Joining the group puts one in touch with other, similarly minded
people. Social options increse
Informational
The group makes its members privy to information they cannot
get elsewhere.
Material interests tend to be the most effective for organizing
people. This makes sense if you think about it. People are more
likely to be motivated by something that profits them than
by other concerns.
2 - Organize electoral competition
Interest groups become heavily involved in election campaigns in
order to gain access to officeholders after the election.
Members of groups want to be seen as being central supports of
members of Congress and the executive branch because that
makes it more likely that they will invited to help craft the legislation
and rules that will affect them.
If the group is not especially wealthy, they can rally supporters
to assist the election.
The term used for this is “electioneering.”
It allows entry for an interest groups’ lobbyists.
3 - Organize government
A key goal of interest groups is to establish connections with people
in each of the branches of government.
Ideally they forge relationships with the various institutions that
have some authority around a defined policy area.
Sub-Governments
Iron TrianglesThe Texas Star
Since the judiciary is elected, judges can become part of sub-
governments in the state.
4 - Link the state and local political system to the national political
system.
Since Texas is in a federal system, relationships sometimes also have to be established with the national
government.
How influential are interest groups in Texas?
According to this table, there are five options.
Texas is dominant / complimentary
According to the table contained here, there are five levels of strength that interest
groups have in the states.
Interest groups in Texas are dominant complimentary.
The Free Rider Problem
Because of the free rider problem, it is easier for interest groups to form around private goods than
public goods.
Not all groups are equally capable of being organized successfully.
Private groups that can provide material incentives to potential
members are more likely to form effective groups.
Examples:
Business GroupsProfessional Associations
Labor Unions
Ironically – given that we live in a majoritarian democracy – larger
groups can be less effective.
They are more difficult to organize and are more likely to suffer from
free ridership.
This includes the poor, students, children, consumers, etc….
In addition, not all groups are likely to be politically engaged.
What do interest groups do to promote their interests?
Getting involved in elections
Voter GuidesIssue Advertisements
Campaign Contributions
Here’s a list of voter guides from interest groups in Texas complied
by Project Vote Smart.
This helps establish relationships with elected officials and makes it
more likely that the group will receive favorable treatment from
each branch.
In Texas, the Governor is responsible for appointing the members of approximately 125 multimember boards and commissions. These
boards and commissions, some with broad policy mandates, make public policy on the often narrowly defined issues around which
organized interests are likely to form. Consequently, organized interests, including
businesses, associations, lobbying groups, and law firms, seek policy making appointments for
their representatives in these government agencies. – source.
Lobbying
Lobbying refers to …..
Types of lobbyists
contractin-house
The typical lobbyist makes more money than a typical member of
the Texas Legislature.
Ex-members of the legislature, and other top government officials can
become successful lobbyists.
Petition Drives
Public Demonstrations
Media Campaigns
Attending Public Meetings
