6. Interest groups and social movements

Informal grouping of individuals or organizations which aim to promote contentious political or social issues

• Creating associations • Holding public meetings • Vigils • Rallies • Demonstrations • Issuing statements • Raising awareness

• Formal organizations • Any group that promotes specific policies • Direct lobbying to policy makers • Less confrontational than social movements and enage more positively with the state • Do not seek political participation • Seek to influence policy to benefit or protect their supporters • Usually has professional organizational structure • Often geographically located near centers of political power

Labour movements at the start of the 20th century = social movement The emergence of formal trade unions turned them into interest groups

Although most decisions ans direct influence lies with elected officials, many otehr groups should also be able to use their influence and resources to shape policymaking

• Studied politics in New Haven • Interest groupshad a high degree of access to political elites • No one group dominated

• Preferable to a system where elections are the sole means of citizen engagement • Has competitive elections but also offers a route for continuous indirect influence by non-elites

• Unrealistic and over simplistic • The degree to which politiciabns can be seen as neutral referees adjucating over competing interests has been called into question • Policitians are more likely to favour interest groups they agree with • Citizens with more at stake will have greater access to politicians (not very equal) • Some groups have a greater capacity to mobilise • Interest groups can create alliances, making them much stronger

A good that some poeple are excluded from benefiting from (farmers subsity only help farmers)

A good that is reduced when consumed; if one person consumes some of it, there is less left for others (subsidy)

Public good Private good benefits society as a whole benefits a specific group in society non-excludable and non-rivalrous excludable and rivalrous lobbies are called public interest groups lobbies are called private interest groups Air, National Defense Farmers and car industry subsidies

People are more likely to take action on a private good since the rewards vs effort is greater

R = B * P - C R: reward B: benefit P: probability of making a difference C: cost of participation

Public goods have a lower level of support becuase the group is already going to mobilise and individuals will benefit regardless of wether they engage in the campaign (the cost is high and the benefit will be the same regardless)

Because otherwise they will be undersupplied

Only applies when the benefits of a policy are concentrated but the cost is diffuse Example: tax on the rich • Costs are concentrated on the rich • Benefits are distributed to society as a whole

• Corporatism • Consociationism • Neo-pluralism

• The state provides privileged access to key groups when undertaking policy-making on specific issues • Example: bringing in representatives from trade unions when discussing setting wages • Criticism - may exclude some groups

• Proposed for societites with deep divides (particularly ethno-linguistic) • State provides privileged access to these groups

• State subsidises public interest groups in order to create a level playing field with private interest groups • Seen in USA and European Union where environmental groups are subsidised