Interest Groups:Interest Groups:Organizing for InfluenceOrganizing for Influence

Chapter 9Chapter 9

The Interest-Group SystemThe Interest-Group System

Economic groupsEconomic groupsBusiness groupsBusiness groupsLabor groupsLabor groupsFarm groupsFarm groupsProfessional groupsProfessional groups

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Percentage Union Members, by Percentage Union Members, by Sector and IndustrySector and Industry

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The Interest-Group SystemThe Interest-Group System

Citizens’ groupsCitizens’ groupsPurposive incentivesPurposive incentivesGroups based on social groupingsGroups based on social groupingsSingle-issue groupsSingle-issue groupsIdeological groupsIdeological groupsCitizens’ groups difficult to classifyCitizens’ groups difficult to classify

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Advantages and Disadvantages Advantages and Disadvantages Held by Economic and Citizens’Held by Economic and Citizens’GroupsGroups

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The Interest-Group SystemThe Interest-Group System

The organizational edge: economic groups The organizational edge: economic groups versus citizens’ groupsversus citizens’ groupsPrivate goods versus collective goodsPrivate goods versus collective goodsThe free rider problemThe free rider problemThe size factor: business groups smaller and more The size factor: business groups smaller and more

efficientefficient

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Inside Lobbying: Seeking Influence Inside Lobbying: Seeking Influence through Official Contactsthrough Official Contacts

Acquiring access to officialsAcquiring access to officials““Revolving door”Revolving door”Supply officials with information—policy supportSupply officials with information—policy supportMoney is key element—amount contributed is Money is key element—amount contributed is

staggeringstaggering

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Inside Lobbying: Seeking Influence Inside Lobbying: Seeking Influence through Official Contactsthrough Official Contacts

Acquiring access to officialsAcquiring access to officialsLobbying CongressLobbying CongressLobbying the executiveLobbying the executiveLobbying the courtsLobbying the courts

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The Top Fifteen Spending The Top Fifteen Spending Lobbying Groups, 2009Lobbying Groups, 2009

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Total Spending on Lobbying ofTotal Spending on Lobbying ofFederal GovernmentFederal Government

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Inside Lobbying: Seeking Influence Inside Lobbying: Seeking Influence through Official Contactsthrough Official Contacts

Webs of influence: groups in the policy Webs of influence: groups in the policy processprocessIron trianglesIron triangles

Bureaucrats, lobbyists, legislatorsBureaucrats, lobbyists, legislatorsSmall, informal, stableSmall, informal, stable

Issue networksIssue networksOfficials, lobbyists, and policy specialists Officials, lobbyists, and policy specialists TemporaryTemporaryMore frequent than iron trianglesMore frequent than iron triangles

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How an Iron Triangle Benefits Its How an Iron Triangle Benefits Its ParticipantsParticipants

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Outside Lobbying: Seeking Influence Outside Lobbying: Seeking Influence Through Public PressureThrough Public Pressure

Constituency advocacy: grassroots lobbyingConstituency advocacy: grassroots lobbyingSpecialty of the AARPSpecialty of the AARPMembers of the public try to get lawmakers’ Members of the public try to get lawmakers’

attentionattention

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Outside Lobbying: Seeking Influence Outside Lobbying: Seeking Influence through Public Pressurethrough Public Pressure

Electoral action: votes and PAC moneyElectoral action: votes and PAC moneyPACs: funneling a PACs: funneling a group’s election contributionsgroup’s election contributionsPAC contributions limited to $10,000 per PAC contributions limited to $10,000 per

candidate for each electioncandidate for each electionMost PACs associated with businessMost PACs associated with businessGive much more heavily to incumbentsGive much more heavily to incumbents

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Tactics Used in Inside and Outside Tactics Used in Inside and Outside Lobbying StrategiesLobbying Strategies

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Percentage of PACs by CategoryPercentage of PACs by Category

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The Group System: The Group System: Indispensable but BiasedIndispensable but Biased

The contribution of groups to self-government: The contribution of groups to self-government: pluralismpluralismServing the “public interest”?Serving the “public interest”?

Flaws in pluralismFlaws in pluralismInterest-group liberalismInterest-group liberalismNot equally representativeNot equally representative

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The Group System: The Group System: Indispensable but BiasedIndispensable but Biased

A Madisonian dilemmaA Madisonian dilemmaA free society must allow pursuit of self-interestA free society must allow pursuit of self-interestChecks and balances work to protect rights, but Checks and balances work to protect rights, but

also exaggerate influence of minoritiesalso exaggerate influence of minoritiesGroups can wield too much influence over Groups can wield too much influence over

individual policies or agenciesindividual policies or agencies

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