1. Interest Groups

2. But First, Interest Articulation
Definition – way for people or groups to ___________ _________ & ___________ to the government
_________________& ____________________ to articulate have grown as societies become more complex
Contact city council member
Meet with politicians
Work with a group for a common concern

3. Degree of Pressure on Elites
Several Forms
Form
Scope of Interests
Degree of Pressure on Elites
Voting in Elections
Broad
Modest pressure
Informal Group
Focused on common interest
High pressure
Direct contact on personal matter
Deals with specific, personal problem
Low pressure
Direct contact on policy issue
Action on a government policy
Protest activity
Highly expressive support for particular issue
Political consumerism
Focused on specific issues & activities

4. How Citizens Participate
Participation varies by ____________________& ____________________
Better educated, higher status individuals more likely to participate
Most frequent: ____________________
Voting
Convincing others to vote
Working with candidates or groups
____________________politics – people working together to address a common problem – is very direct in attempting to influence policy
____________________are most visible

5. So What? To influence policy, citizens need to articulate interests
More activities  greater ability for your voice to be heard
Differences in voices are reflected in policy outputs
Who ___________ speak?

6. Interest Groups
Social or political groups that represent a set of people
Vary in structure, style, financing, and support base
Some are poorly organized & unfocused
Others have permanent organizational base
Professional staff
Participate in the political process
Serve on government advisory bodies
Testify at parliamentary hearings
4 types: anomic, nonassociational, institutional, and associational

7. Anomic Groups
____________________groups that suddenly form in reaction to an event
Frustration, disappointment, or other strong emotion
Rise & subside quickly
Actions may lead to ____________________, but not necessarily
Public demonstrations or act of violence
Not planned protests
Examples
Protests common in political tradition of France – in 2006, mass protests nearly brought the economy to a standstill until the government withdrew unpopular labor regulations
Wildcat strikes (not union-strikes) feature of the British trade union scene
1992 LA riots

8. Nonassociational Groups
Rarely are well organized
Activity is episodic
Based on ______________________________________ of ethnicity, region, religion, occupation, or kinship
More continuity than anomic groups due to cultural ties
May be a ____________________ – although members share a problem, none takes effort to organize other members against it
If large benefits are achieved, they’ll be shared even by those who didn’t do the work (free-riders)
Pattern of people waiting for rewards w/o taking action is common among other groups too
2 kinds most interesting
Large group, not formally organized, but members perceive common interests
Small village group where members know each other personally

9. Institutional Groups
Formal & have other ____________________________________ in addition to interest articulation
Political parties, business corporations, legislatures, armies, bureaucracies, & churches often have separate political groups to represent interests
Strength usually drawn from their ____________________
Size of membership
Income of members
If based on governmental institution, it has direct access to policymakers
Examples
Farm lobby
Political parties
Roman Catholic Church
Educational officials
Corporations

10. Associational Groups
Formed ____________________to represent the interests of a particular group
Have procedures for formulating interests & demands
Full-time professional staff
Very active in the policy process
Affect the development of other groups
Organizational base gives an advantage over nonassociational groups
Tactics & goals recognized as legitimate in society
Some united by common economic or self-interest goals
Some have common political ideology or policy goal
Environmental movement
Women’s rights
Examples
Trade/Labor Union
Chamber of Commerce
Manufacturers’ Association
Ethnic Association
Lobbyists for health insurance organizations

11. Civil Society
Society in which people are involved in social & political interactions ___________ of state control or regulations
Community groups, voluntary associations, religious groups, etc. exist
Free communication & information through mass media & Internet
____________________ a sign of civil society
Attention toward developing a ____________ civil society
Groups in one nation connected to groups in another
Meet at international conferences & jointly reinforce each other’s goals
Difficulty in developing and newly democratized nations where there was political oppression or suppression before

12. Interest Groups Booklet
Create a booklet of interest groups in the US and abroad
Find interest groups that match your beliefs or you find interesting!
Include:
Cover page
Brief introduction – What are interest groups? What do they do?
4 Pages: 2 US groups + 2 from abroad
When did it form?
What is its purpose?
What activities is it known for?
Back cover – name, date, & class period
Can make in Word, Publisher, or PowerPoint