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What is an interest group?
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An organization or association of people with common interest that participate in politics on behalf of their members
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What are americans compared to citizens in other countries?
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Joiners
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why are americans considered joiners?
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- because more than 3/4 of americans belong to at least one group
- and majority of americans make finacial contibution to 4 different groups (political or non-political) |
what is required to maintain interest groups?
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Investments and resources
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What are those investments and resources?
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-Time
-Money |
What are the incentive of joining Interest Groups?
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Solidarity - joining for social reasons
material - econimic incentive; tangible benefits purposive - wish to advance group's social and political goods |
What are free rider?
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People that enjoy benefits of group activity without bearing any of the cost
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when do people feel the incentive to" fre-ride" ?
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When they feel their contribution (the cost) is not neccessary.
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when does "free-ride" worsen ?
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- when the group is larger
- greater the distance and intangibility of the benefit the group seeks |
Where thus "Free-ride" comes from ?
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Public and private goods
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what is private (individual) good ?
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Goods that you must purchase to enjoy, and your consumption of which means that other's can't consume it.
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what is Public (collective) good?
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Goods that you can enjoy without contributing, by free riding on efforts of others
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How can the "free rider " problem be overcome ?
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- coercion: social pressure, sometimes violence
- Enthusiam: (ex. social movements) - selective benefit - patrons and political entreprenuers |
why are small groups more effective than large groups?
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Because they are
- united on policy issues - have more resources |
How do nterest groups influence the government?
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Through
- lobbying - graddroots lobbying - direct action - electioneering and PACs - persuasion - litigation |