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CHAPTER THIRTEEN Study Chapter Summary ·
Government will always distribute resources
in ways that benefit some at the expense of others. People who want influence
on the way that government policy decisions are made form interest groups. To
accomplish their goals, interest groups lobby elected officials, rally public
opinion, offer policy suggestions, and keep tabs on policy once enacted.
Interest groups also must organize and convince others to join, often offering
selective benefits to members. ·
Interest groups come in all different types.
Economic groups like business associations or trade unions want to protect and
improve their status. Public interest groups advocate their vision of society,
and equal opportunity groups organize to gain, or at least improve, economic
status and civil rights. Governments form associations to improve relations
among their ranks. ·
Lobbyists are the key players of interest
groups. They influence public policy either by approaching the three branches
of government (direct lobbying) or by convincing the people to pressure the
government (indirect lobbying). ·
The success of individual interest groups is
often affected by factors like funding, quality of leadership, membership size
and intensity, and access to information. ·
Critics of interest groups fear that the
most powerful groups are simply those with the most money, and that this poses
a danger to American democracy. However, interest group formation may also be
seen as a way to give more power to more citizens, offering a mechanism to keep
politicians accountable by offering additional channels for representation,
participation, education, creation of policy solutions, and public agenda
building. Learning Objectives
After
reading this chapter, you should understand ·
the various roles interest groups play in
the U.S. political system and the ways they organize ·
the many types of interest groups and the kinds
of interests they represent ·
how interest groups attempt to exert their
influence through lobbying and campaign activities ·
the resources that different interest groups
bring to bear on influencing governmental decisions ·
the relationship of citizens to interest
groups in American politics—and the question of whether interest group politics
is biased in favor of certain groups in society |
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