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ISBN: 0205208142
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192

Chapter 10 Interest Groups

Such scandals are found worldwide; most trace back to laws that interest groups

set up to favor themselves.

Stalemating Political Power

Interest groups compete with one another and in so doing limit the influence that

any group can have on the legislature or a government agency. Interest groups

may stalemate government action. Certain issues are “hot potatoes” because gov-

ernment action either way angers one group or another. Typically, such issues are

ardently supported and vehemently opposed by competing groups with enough

voting power and influence to drive politicians to equivocation. Government may

get stuck, trapped between powerful interests and unable to move on important

problems. Italy has been called a “stalemate society” for this reason.

In two-party systems, especially, issues tend to be muted by political candi-

dates who try to appeal to as broad a segment of the voting public as possible. The

result is a gap between the narrow interest of the individual voter and the general

promises of an electoral campaign—a gap that interest groups attempt to fill by

pressing for firm political actions on certain issues. But how well do interest groups

serve the needs of the average citizen? The small businessperson, the uninformed

citizen, and minority groups with little money tend to get lost in the push and pull

of larger interests and government. The successful interest groups, too, tend to be

dominated by a vocal minority of well-educated, middle- and upper-class political

activists. In some cases, interest groups have become so effective that they over-

shadow parties and paralyze policymaking with their conflicting demands. The

precise balance between the good of all and the good of particular groups has not

yet been found.

EXERCISES

Apply what you learned in this chapter on MyPoliSciKit ( www.mypoliscikit.com ).

Assessment Review this chapter using learning objectives, chapter summaries,

practice tests, and more.

Flashcards Learn the key terms in this chapter; you can test yourself by term or

definition.

Video Analyze recent world affairs by watching streaming video from major

news providers.

Comparative Exercises Compare political ideas, behaviors, institutions, and

policies worldwide.

Further

Reference

193

KEY TERMS

AFL-CIO (p. 184 )

NAM (p. 184 )

soft money (p. 183 )

amicus curiae (p. 188 )

political action committee

structured access

class action (p. 188 )

(p. 183 )

(p. 186 )

corporatism (p. 180 )

public financing (p. 183 )

subprime (p. 190 )

corruption (p. 183 )

scandal (p. 191 )

unforeseen

Diet (p. 181 )

single-issue group (p. 184 )

consequence (p. 183 )

lobbying (p. 187 )

socioeconomic status

METI (p. 181 )

(p. 185 )

FURTHER REFERENCE

Berry, Jeffrey M. The New Liberalism: The Ris-

of American Government.

New York:

ing Power of Citizen Groups. Washington,

Knopf, 2009.

DC: Brookings, 2000.

Lindsay, D. Michael. Faith in the Halls of Power:

Biersack, Robert, Paul S. Herrnson, and

How Evangelicals Joined the American Elite.

Clyde Wilcox, eds. After the Revolution:

New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.

PACs, Lobbies, and the Republican Congress.

Rauch, Jonathan. Government’s End: Why

Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon,

Washington Stopped Working. New York:

1999.

PublicAffairs, 1999.

Browne, William P. Groups, Interests, and U.S.

Sabato, Larry J., and Glenn R. Simpson. Dirty

Public Policy. Washington, DC: George-

Little Secrets: The Persistence of Corruption

town University Press, 1998.

in American Politics. New York: Times

Cigler, Allan J., and Burdett A. Loomis, eds.

Books/Random House, 1996.

Interest Group Politics, 7th ed. Washington,

Smith, Bradley A. Unfree Speech: The Folly of

DC: CQ Press, 2006.

Campaign Finance Reform. Princeton, NJ:

Graziano, Luigi.

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