Political Science - Interest Groups
Political Science – Home
INTEREST GROUPS
Influencing the Government
DISCUSSION QUESTION/S
- Are interest groups necessary for political life? Do we need them to properly interact with our elected officials or do they provide more harm than good?
- If interest groups were harmful, how do you propose we properly communicate our wants and needs with the Federal Government?
INTEREST GROUPS
- Private organizations or voluntary associations that seek to influence public policy as a way to protect or advocate for their interests. (They are more organized than social movements and may operate by being a non-profit group or a business)
- Fundamental Goal: TO INFLUENCE PUBLIC POLICY. They actively want to change the behaviour of public officials or what the government does by specifically looking at a law-by-law or bill-by-bill method because interest groups have interests. (Their goal is to have a particular elected official act in a particularly favourable way, either through voting in a bill, etc.)
- They are fundamentally not part of government, although they may work closely with the government
- They are not political parties
- The Evils of Faction (derogatory term which is sometimes used to describe or call interest groups)
- Interest groups can be understood as factions
- Self-interested, not involved in the public good but in their own good and the good they are able to obtain
- Interest groups can be understood as factions
THE PLURALIST ARGUMENT
- Perhaps, interest groups do not hurt democracy
- Argument:
- Free elections do not consistently and effectively communicate wants and needs (Elections are great at doing a single thing – getting people elected; but it is not good in developing a day to day, ordinary interaction with members of the government)
- Interest Groups are easy to create (No need for too much money or paperwork)
- Because of Federalism and the separation of powers, institutions are open to everyone (Everyone at the government has an influence interest groups can go to)
- Therefore, all legitimate interests can have their say. (There is no problem with interest groups)
- The system is highly democratic (allows participants of the democracy to have a real voice on what’s going on)
- They see interest groups as a democratic necessity.
SELECTIVE BENEFITS OF INTEREST GROUP MEMBERSHIP
CATEGORY
| BENEFITS |
Informational benefits |
Conferences Professional contacts Training programs Publications Coordination among organizations Research Legal Help Professional codes Collective bargaining
|
Material benefits |
Travel packages Insurance Discounts on consumer goods
|
Solidarity benefits |
Friendship Networking opportunities
|
Purposive benefits |
Advocacy Representation before government Participation in public affairs
|