Ch 15 Flashcards
(23 cards)
Social movements
large groups of citizens organizing for political change.
Interest groups
voluntary association of people who come together with the goal of getting the policies that they favor enacted.
Theory of participatory democracy
the belief that citizens impact policymaking through their involvement in civil society.
Civil society
which is made up of groups outside the government that advocate for policies.
Pluralist theory
a theory of democracy that emphasizes the role of groups in the policymaking process.
Elitist theory
theory of democracy that the elites have a disproportionate amount of influence in the policymaking process.
Policy agenda
the set of issues to which government officials, voters, and the public are paying attention.
Collective action
political action that occurs when individuals contribute their energy, time, or money to a larger group goal.
Collective good
also called a public good; a public benefit that individuals can enjoy or profit from even if they do not help achieve it.
Free riders
individual who enjoys collective goods and benefits from the actions of an interest group without joining.
Selective benefits
benefit available only to those who join the group.
Economic interest groups
a group advocating on behalf of the financial interests of members.
Public interest groups
group that acts on behalf of the collective interests of a broad group of individuals.
Single-issue groups
association focusing on one specific area of public policy, often a moral issue about which they are unwilling to compromise.
Government interest groups
organization acting on behalf of local, state, or foreign governments.
Lobbying
interacting with government officials in order to advance a group’s public policy goals.
Revolving door
the movement of individuals between government and lobbying positions.
Amicus curiae brief
a brief filed by someone who is not a party to a case in an attempt to persuade the court to agree with the arguments set forth in the brief.
Iron triangle
coordinated and mutually beneficial activities of the bureaucracy, Congress, and interest groups to achieve shared policy goals.
Issue network
webs of influence between interest groups, policymakers, and policy advocates.
Grassroots lobbying
mobilizing interest group members to pressure their representatives by contacting them directly through phone calls, email, and social media.
Protest
a public demonstration designed to call attention to the need for change.
Civil disobedience
the intentional refusal to obey a law to call attention to its injustice.
