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| -rw-r--r-- | PROGRESS | 8 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | rich/32_interest_groups | 107 |
2 files changed, 111 insertions, 4 deletions
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@ -- INTA lecture 11/9 -- INTA lecture 11/11 -- INTA lecture 11/13 - Discussion activity for INTA - INTA lecture 11/16 - INTA lecture 11/19 @@ -18,7 +15,10 @@ + Proposal - Determine what portfolio covers - Math Club Planning -- DNA Club Outreach ++ DNA Club Outreach ++ INTA lecture 11/13 ++ INTA lecture 11/11 ++ INTA lecture 11/9 + INTA lecture 11/6 + INTA lecture 11/4 + INTA lecture 11/2 diff --git a/rich/32_interest_groups b/rich/32_interest_groups new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7fc94b2 --- /dev/null +++ b/rich/32_interest_groups @@ -0,0 +1,107 @@ +Interest Groups are the organizing unit of political collective action. + +Interest Groups +- "Everything from fruits to nuts is organized" +- No matter what interest you have, there is a group for you. Ex: + - International Studies Organization + - American History Organization + - Golf + - Doctors Without Borders, donating to Georgia Tech +- So what is a political interest group? + - Organizations that try to achieve their goals with some level of + government assistance + - But what role do they play and should they play? + - AARP, AAA are interest groups; they lobby the government for + support + - Political parties don't look for support but control +- Federalist #10 "Madison's Model" + - "Mischief of factions [interest groups]" + - The founders were largely concerned with over-concentrated power, + tyranny + - Tyranny of a majority's "common passions" were warned against. + - Size helps + - Country size + - Voting count + - These cannot be eliminated because people organize. + - "Can't beat 'em, join 'em" + - Multiple access points for state, local, federal. + - Develop a huge diversity of interests + - Interest groups check each other so none become too influential + +Why join an interest group? +- Mancur Olsen's "The Logic of Collective Action" +- Collective Goods, like environment, protection of retired people, etc +- Size of Group Matters + - Accountability + - Responsibility + - Disproportionate Distribution of Benefits, moreso with larger + groups +- Example + - Sororities, group projects have free-riders + - The Sierra Club keeps water, air clean for the rest of us. + - The entire country is the group size +- The Free-Rider Problem +- Ultimately, joining these collective activities aren't perfectly + rational + +What incentives make people join? +- Once formed, interest groups recruit, but why should Americans join? +1) Solidary incentives: social relations + - Ex: Sierra Club hikes, fraternities +2) Material Incentives + - Ex: Nike sponsors sports teams +3) Purposive Incentives + - Ex: The GT mission +- Orgs/individual reasons can be one or any combination +- Still probably costs more to be a member in terms of activity + +Inexhaustive list of types of interest groups +- National, State, and Local interest groups +1) Business interest groups + - NAM - 60+ employee businesses; focused more on labor, taxation + - Chamber of Commerce - Small, local businesses +2) Agricultural - Agree on export, subsidy stuff + - AFBF - Big Farms + - National Farmers Union - Smaller Farms +3) Labor + - Protect corporations from making profits by squeezing labor + - AFL-CIO + - Teamsters, a truck driver union + - Public employees + - Teachers Union + - FD, Public Safety, Police Unions + - Professional interest groups +- Interest groups advocate for "who gets what, when, and how" because + they have power, and we will see that soon in modern politics. +4) Environmental + - Their goal is preservation + - Each has their own strategy + - Greenpeace + - Sierra Club +- Madison's Model is playing out because interest groups regulate each + other +5) Public Interest Groups + - Consumer Pressure Groups + - Auto safety + - Ford chose to settle lawsuits over exploding cars than do a + repair costing pennies. +6) Special Interest Groups + - Single interest and focused + - Gun control, abortion + - Usually have two sides for pro- and anti-, but there are many + representing either side +7) Foreign Governments + - Received more attention during 90s after Cold War ended + - Clinton made staffers promise not to work for/lobby for foreign + governments for a certain number of years + - Really powerful interest groups + +What makes an interest group powerful? +1) Size and resources +2) Leadership and strategy + - The invisible, mostly non-controversial lobbying decisions, + advertising, etc. +3) Cohesiveness + - How strongly the members believe in the cause and want to work for + the issue +- The most powerful interest group? AARP |