POLS 3130 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Fritter, Country Party (Britain), Hate Speech

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Political Science
• Course: POLS 3130
• Professor: Dave Snow

Document Summary

Week 9 interest groups and governments in court. Any organization that seeks to influence government policy but not govern. Little i(cid:374)te(cid:396)est g(cid:396)oup i(cid:374)(cid:448)ol(cid:448)e(cid:373)e(cid:374)t i(cid:374) the judi(cid:272)ial p(cid:396)o(cid:272)ess (cid:449)he(cid:374) : courts exercise little power, rules of standing are strictly applied. None are true in the age of judicial power. B(cid:455) 2002 the(cid:396)e (cid:449)as (cid:862)a (cid:448)e(cid:396)ita(cid:271)le su(cid:396)ge i(cid:374) i(cid:374)te(cid:396)est g(cid:396)oup litigatio(cid:374)(cid:863) Why use courts rather than the executive/legislature/bureaucracy: expensive, time-consuming. Judges possess neither the purse nor the sword. Can make a decision, but lack implementation: courts can promote social change. Influence public policy: raise profile of an issue. Even if you lose: permanence of judicial decisions, especially constitutional ones. Groups litigate because unable to penetrate other avenues of government. Politically disadvantaged marginalized, poor, powerless: courts are only recourse. Problems with pdt: business groups and (especially) governments often successful in court. Successful groups well-financed, tied to state funding: groups that come to court for the first time, not very successful.