POLS 34102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Amicus Curiae, Advocacy Group
29 Jun 2018
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CH 11 OUTLINE
Defining Interest Groups
1. The framers of the Constitution argued for pluralism, in which all interests are, and should be,
free to compete for influence in the United States. They believed the outcome of this competition
would be compromise and moderation, since no group would be able to achieve any of its goals
without accommodating itself to some of the views of its many competitors.
2. An interest group is an organized group of people that makes policy-related appeals to
government. An enormous number of diverse interest groups exist in the United States.
3. Common types of interest groups include economic and corporate groups, labor groups,
professional associations, citizen groups, ideological groups, and public sector groups.
4. Interest group politics in the United States tends to have a pronounced upper-class bias
because of the characteristics of interest group members.
How Groups Organize
1. Most interest groups share key organizational components, including leadership, money, an
agency or office, and members.
2. Because of natural disincentives to join interest groups, groups offer informational, material,
solidary, and purposive benefits to entice people to join.
3. Netroots, which are less expensive to organize and are often more issue generalist, play an
increasingly important role in citizen participation in politics.
The Growth of Interest and Advocacy Groups
1. The modern expansion of governmental economic and social programs has contributed to the
enormous increase in group activity and organization.
2. Another factor accounting for the explosion of interest group activity in recent years was the
emergence of a new set of forces in American politics: the New Politics movement. Today, the
Internet and social media has had a major effect on how interest groups organize and advocate
for their positions.
Interest Group Strategies
1. Lobbying is an effort by a group to influence the political agenda of Congress or government
agencies by forming close ties with lawmakers, providing information about policies, and building
coalitions around an issue.
2. The so-called iron triangle has one point in an executive branch program, another point in a
Senate or House legislative committee or subcommittee, and a third point in an interest group.
The points in the triangular relationship are mutually supporting and work together for a mutual
benefit; they count as access only if they last over a long period of time.
3. A number of important policy domains are controlled, not by iron triangles, but by issue
networks that consist of like-minded politicians, consultants, public officials, political activists, and
interest groups that care about the issue in question.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Defining interest groups: the framers of the constitution argued for pluralism, in which all interests are, and should be, free to compete for influence in the united states. An enormous number of diverse interest groups exist in the united states: common types of interest groups include economic and corporate groups, labor groups, professional associations, citizen groups, ideological groups, and public sector groups. Interest group politics in the united states tends to have a pronounced upper-class bias because of the characteristics of interest group members. Internet and social media has had a major effect on how interest groups organize and advocate for their positions. Senate or house legislative committee or subcommittee, and a third point in an interest group. Interest groups often turn to litigation when they lack access or feel they have insufficient influence to change a policy. Examples of going public include institutional advertising, protests and demonstrations, and grassroots mobilization.
