Chapter 13. Interest Groups

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