1. Interest Groups
Dr. Christopher S. Rice

2. Interest Groups
Organizations that try to
shape public policy by
influencing the behavior of
political decision-makers.

3. Interest groups are
important
instruments to attain
democracy and
serve the public
interest
(cc) 2007 Flickr user Flyover Living

4. 3
Types of Interest Groups

5. Public Interest Groups
(citizen groups)

6. (cc) 2007 Flickr user williamhartz
Interests that are connected to the
general welfare of the community

7. Non-Economic Groups
motivated by:
Ideology
Desire to advance a cause
Commitment to a
particular public policy

8. Attract members using
solidaristic or purposive
incentives

9. Number of public interest
groups has increased markedly
since the 1960’s

10. Private Interest Groups
(economic groups)

11. Groups with some tangible
stake that they wish to
protect or to advance by
means of government
action

12. Associated with providing
benefits for a fraction of the
community

13. Primarily based on
selective benefits

14. 3

15. Producer Groups
represent enterprises that
produce goods or services,
such as businesses or
agriculture

16. Professional Groups
represent the interests of
professionals, such as doctors,
lawyers, and dentists.

17. Unions
protect jobs of members,
work for maximum wage &
benefit levels.

18. Think
Governments
Tanks
“Gray Area”
Interest Groups
Astroturf Issue Networks
Groups and Alliances

19. What Interest Groups Do
the “inside” and “outside” games

20. The Inside Game
Direct contact of interest
group representative and
government officials

21. One-on-one
Persuasion
(cc) 2005 Flickr user Spamily

22. Requires an understanding of
the “rules of the game”
(cc) 2006 Flickr user romainguy

23. The inside game is most
effective when the issues:
are narrow and technical;
do not command much media
or public attention;
do not stir up counteractivity by
other interest groups.

24. Inside Game
Lobbying Congress

25. (cc) 2007 Flickr user ethorson

26. (cc) 2005 Flickr user Tracy O
The Importance
of Campaign
Contributions

27. Provide Testimony at Public Hearings
of Committees & Subcommittees
(cc) 2008 flickr user Robert Whitlock

28. The “Lobbyist’s Loop of Deceit”
(c) 2008 Valdis/NetworkWeaving.com

29. Inside Game
Lobbying Executive Branch

30. (cc) 2007 Flickr user ethorson

31. Helping the
Bureaucracy

32. The
Revolving
Door?

33. The Outside Game
Efforts to mobilize public
opinion, voters, and important
contributors in order to bring
pressure on elected officials

34. Tools of the Outside Game
• Mobilizing Membership
• Organizing the District
• Shaping Opinion
– Publication of Research results
– Advertising
– Maintaining working relationships with
the media
– Political Action Committees
– Blogging and Web 2.0 activism

35. Interest Group System &
Democracy

36. 3
Inequalities in the Interest
Group System

37. Representational Inequalities
involves the question of WHOM
interest groups represent

38. 2/3

39. Representational advantage
of business, professions
increasing

40. Business & Professional Groups
have more permanency
(cc) 2007 Flickr user Rob Ball

41. Resource Inequalities
interest groups representing
business corporations and the
professions represent a
substantial resource advantage
over others

42. (cc) 2006 Flickr user thejedi

43. ROI

44. Do interest groups
neutralize
each other?

45. Access inequality
inequalities of representation
and resources are accentuated
by the ability of some groups to
form relatively stable alliances
with government institutions and
decision-makers

46. Interest Group Liberalism
political system in which interest
groups help formulate and carry
out government policies

47. Capture
tendency for regulatory
agencies to become allies,
protectors, & advocates of
the industries that they were
intended to regulate

48. Iron Triangles
A three-way arrangement in
which an alliance is formed
between a private interest
group, a bureaucratic agency,
and a Congressional committee
or subcommittee.