Interest Groups and Social Movements Flashcards
what are interest groups?
organisations that defend interests of a particular group of people
what are the different types of interest groups?
- Protective/defensive groups
- Promotional groups
- Peak associations
- Think-tanks
what are protective/defensive groups?
seek selective benefits for their members (pay rise)
what are promotional groups?
seek to advocate ideas of some general political cause using established channels (gun rights)
what are peak associations?
interest groups whose members are businesses or other organisations rather than individuals
what are think-tanks?
a body of experts providing advice and ideas on specific political or economic problems
what are the main five functions of interest groups?
- Increase representation and participation
- Public awareness
- Agenda Setting
- Monitoring of Government
- Lobbying
what are the two main categories in the context of interest groups?
corporatism and pluralism
what is corporatism?
institutionalised cooperation between key interest groups, political parties and the state in formulation of public policies
what are the characteristics of interest groups under corporatism?
- integrated in a set of institutional arrangements, facilitating permanent bargaining
- centralised and concentrated in ‘peak associations’
- willing to compromise
what is pluralism?
competition between interest groups for influence on public policies in which the state plays a neutral role
what are the characteristics of interest groups under pluralism?
- dispersed across different institutional arenas
- fragmented into a number of groups
- competing with each other
what has caused the relative decline of corporatism?
economies have changed: the emergence of post-industrial society undermines corporatist arrangements
what has pluralism recently shifted to?
policy/issue networks
what are policy/issue networks?
heterogeneous group of persons and organisations, including interest groups, that are part of a relatively loose but enduring social structure