Types of Interest Groups

8/10/2019 Types of Interest Groups

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Interest Groups

Types of Interest Groups

Strategies Used by Interest Groups The Inside Game: Lobbying

The Outside Game: Public Pressure and Electoral Influence

The Pros and Cons of Interest Groups

Study Tools

Review Questions

Interest Groups Quiz

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How to Cite This SparkNote

Interest Groups

Types of Interest Groups

An interest groupis an organization of people who share a common interest and work togetherto protect and promote that interest by influencing the government. Interest groups vary greatlyin size, aims, and tactics. Political scientists generally divide interest groups into two categories:

economic and noneconomic.

Economic Groups

Economic groups,which seek some sort of economic advantage for their members, are the most

common type of interest group. Money has significant influence in capitalist societies, soeconomic interest groups are numerous and powerful. These groups are usually well fundedbecause members willingly contribute money in the hopes of reaping greater political influence

and profit.

Economic groups work to win private goods,which are benefits that only the members of the

group will enjoy. When a labor union agrees to a contract, for example, its members benefit fromthe contract, whereas nonunion members do not. If there is no private good incentive, peoplemight choose not to join (especially if there is a membership fee or dues). There are four main

types of economic groups: business groups, labor groups, agricultural groups, and professional

associations.

Business Groups
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groups, such as the Farm Bureau, tend to work most closely with large agribusinesses, whereas

others, such as the Farmers Union and the Grange, do more to protect family farms.

Professional Associations

Many professionals have formal organizations that set ground rules for the profession, regulatepractices, and promote standards of conduct. Professional associations also lobby the

government on issues related to their profession. The American Medical Association, forexample, fights against laws it feels undercut physicians autonomy. Similarly, the NationalEducation Association, a professional association for teachers, lobbies for policies it feels will

benefit teachers and students.

Interest Groups and Prescription Drugs

Prescription drugs are more important to health care than ever before. Interest groups have

played a strong role in the rules governing prescription drugs, from influencing the process ofdrug approval by the Food and Drug Administration to regulating the price and distribution of

pharmaceuticals. When Congress added prescription drug coverage to Medicare in 2004, manyfelt that pharmaceutical companies had influenced Congress to forbid negotiations over drugprices.

Noneconomic Groups

Noneconomic groups(sometimes called citizens groups) are interest groups that fight forcauses instead of working for material gain. Unlike economic groups, which work for private

goods, noneconomic groups seek public goods(also called collective goods), which benefiteveryone in society, not just members of the group. Instead of material incentives, these groupsoffer their members a variety of selective incentives, including the following benefits:

Purposive benefits: The emotional and psychological benefits members receive knowingthey have contributed to a cause they feel is worthwhile

Solidarity benefits:The social benefits members receive after meeting new people andfriends they worked with to promote the cause

Informational benefits:The educational benefits members receive after having learned

more about the issues that matter to them

There are four main types of noneconomic groups: public interest groups, single-issue groups,ideological groups, and government groups.

Public Interest Groups

Public interest groups claim to work for the good of the whole society, not just one part of it. Not

surprisingly, public interest groups often have very different ideas as to how to improve society.Many public interest groups tackle a number of related issues. Greenpeace, for example, works

to protect ecosystems around the world and to educate the public about dangers to theenvironment. The nonpartisan public interest group Democracy 21 seeks to strengthen

democracy by lobbying for election and campaign finance reforms.


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Single-Issue Groups

Single-issue groups work solely on one specific issue. These groups tend to be very strongly

driven, composed of members who are passionately committed to the particular cause. Over thelast few decades, the number of single-issue groups has grown greatly; there are now groups

covering a broad range of issues. Well-known single-issue groups include the National RifleAssociation, which lobbies against gun control legislation, and Operation Rescue, which worksto ban abortion.

Ideological Groups

Whereas single-issue groups have a very narrow focus, ideological groups have much broaderaims rooted in a strongly held philosophy. Ideological groups often work to change cultural

norms, values, and prevailing stereotypes. Conservative ideological groups include the ChristianCoalition and the Traditional Values Coalition, whereas liberal ideological groups include the

NOW and the National Organization for the Advancement of Colored People.

Government Groups

Government groups represent the interests of other governments. Many cities and stategovernments, for example, have lobbyists in Washington to act in their interest. Most foreigngovernments also hire lobbyists to promote their interests in Congress and the White House.

Catchin a Ride

People who reap the benefits from public goods without actually contributing to the group thatwon those goods are known as free riders.The free rider phenomenon is particularly

troublesome for noneconomic interest groups, especially ideological interests groups, which havetrouble recruiting active members who are willing to contribute time, money, and energy to

winning a public good that will benefit everyone.

SOME MAJOR INTEREST GROUPS

Type of Group Example

Business National Association of Manufacturers

Economic Labor International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Agricultural American Farm Bureau Federation

Professional Association American Bar Association

Public Interest League of Women Voters

NoneconomicSingle Issue The Environmental Defense Fund

Ideological Christian Coalition

Government National League of Cities

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