In this lesson, you will learn about the factors that contribute to interest group success. Why are some groups more influential than others? It is not always about money. Specifically, this lesson covers:
1. Factors that Contribute to Interest Group Power
While there is a diversity of interest groups in existence, it is clear that some interest groups are more powerful and influential than others. There are organizations that are well-known and respected among the public and policymakers, and there are other organizations that most citizens have never heard of. Some organizations may be known in their industry and by policymakers, but lack visibility among the general public.
Important factors that influence interest group success include money, membership, quality of their leadership, and their ability to make effective use of the strategies discussed previously.
1a. Money
Many people criticize the huge amounts of money spent on politics. Some argue that interest groups have too much influence on who wins elections, while others suggest influence is also problematic when interests try to sway politicians in office. There is little doubt that interest groups often try to achieve their objectives by influencing elections and politicians, but discovering whether they have succeeded in changing minds is actually challenging because they tend to support those who already agree with them.
Still, well-funded interest groups are often able to achieve a lot. Financial resources allow organizations to build robust organizations filled with talented staff, including researchers, public relations professionals, and skilled leaders. They enable interest groups to invest in a technological infrastructure that can facilitate their ability to effectively reach lawmakers, media, and the public. Some organizations purchase legislative tracking services that enable them to efficiently track the progress of legislation.
EXAMPLE
OpenSecrets is a public interest research group dedicated to increasing the transparency and accountability of the U.S. government. Though many people have never heard of it, it provides a vast amount of data on campaign contributions, interest groups, and lobbying that the media, other researchers, and the creators of this course rely on.
1b. Membership
While money creates great advantages, it is not the only significant resource. Other resources include the group members themselves and the passion they have for the issue. Grassroots movements demonstrate the power of ordinary individuals when they organize and act collectively.
While some organizations may not have significant financial backing, their membership and those acting in support of their cause are often voters. Strategic organizations and their leaders are able to leverage their membership to persuade policymakers to take their concerns seriously.
One key obstacle all interest groups face is how to motivate their members to support them and participate in their efforts.
1c. Other Factors
Interest groups are also strengthened by a combination of other factors that include leadership, public opinion, and relationships with those in power.
EXAMPLE
The Center for American Progress is a left-leaning policy and advocacy organization that researches and promotes progressive policy issues. The organization has boasted high-profile leaders who have served as advisors to Democratic officials, including presidents and presidential candidates.
Organizations that are respected by the general public may be able to leverage that respect into membership or financial support. Organizations may also be strengthened by their size–both big and small.
Large memberships can be beneficial to an organization, especially when spearheading a campaign. Members can help place pressure on lawmakers and they can recruit other citizens to contact their elected officials about the issue. There are also times when being small in size is a benefit. Organizations that are small, and have little broad visibility, may be able to secure strong ties with lawmakers without great risk of opposition.
2. The Free Rider Problem
In group projects in which you have participated, you may have noticed times when a small number of individuals did the bulk of the work, while others did very little, and yet everyone received the same reward. Why do some do all the work, while others do little or none? How is it possible to get people to work when there is a disincentive to do so?
This is an example of a collective action problem, and it exists in government as well as in public and private organizations. Whether it is Congress trying to pass a budget, or an interest group trying to motivate members to contact lawmakers, organizations must overcome collective action problems to be productive. This is especially true of interest groups, whose formation and survival depend on members doing the necessary work to keep the group funded and operating.
watch
Please watch this video about solutions to the collective action problem,
Collective action problems exist when people have a disincentive to take action. In his classic work, The Logic of Collective Action, economist Mancur Olson discussed the conditions under which collective action problems exist, and he noted that they were prevalent among organized interests.
People tend not to act when the perceived benefit is insufficient to justify the costs associated with engaging in the action. Many citizens may have concerns about the appropriate level of taxation, gun control, or environmental protection, but these concerns are not necessarily strong enough for them to become politically active. In fact, most people take no action on most issues, either because they do not feel strong enough, or because their action will likely have little bearing on whether a given policy is adopted. Thus, there is a disincentive to call your member of Congress, because rarely will a single phone call sway a politician on an issue.
Why do some people elect to do little on a group project? The answer is that they likely prefer to do something else, and they realize they will receive the same grade as the rest of the group without contributing to the effort. This result is often termed the free rider problem, because some individuals can receive benefits (get a free ride) without helping to bear the cost.
IN CONTEXT
If union membership is optional and all workers will receive a salary increase regardless of whether they make the time and financial commitment to join, some workers may get a free ride. The benefits sought by labor unions, such as higher wages, collective bargaining rights, and safer working conditions, are often enjoyed by all workers regardless of whether they are members. Therefore, free riders can receive the benefit of the pay increase without helping defray the cost by paying dues, attending meetings or rallies, or joining protests, like that shown in Figure 1.
(Figure 1) In December 2018, in protest against working conditions such as computer tracking and being required to work at a high rate of speed, around two hundred Amazon workers, mostly of East African descent, protested outside their workplace in Shakopee, Minnesota. credit: modification of "East African worker protest against Amazon" by Fibonacci Blue/Wikimedia Commons
Measuring the effect of interest groups’ influence is somewhat difficult because no one strategy leads to success. Candidates who raise the most money or receive the most money from interest groups do not always win. Similarly, lobbyists tend to support lawmakers who would likely have supported them in the first place, so ultimate support for an issue may not completely be attributed to a lobbyist’s ability to sway a lawmaker.
While some scholars note that lobbyists sometimes try to influence those on the fence or even their enemies, most of the time, they support like-minded individuals. Thus, contributions are unlikely to sway lawmakers to change their views; what they do buy is access, including time with lawmakers. The problem for those trying to assess whether interest groups influence lawmakers, then, is that we are uncertain what would happen in the absence of interest group contributions, as well as the other efforts to influence legislation. For example, we can only speculate what the ACA might have looked like had lobbyists from a host of interests not lobbied on the issue.
term to know
Free Rider Problem
The situation that occurs when some individuals receive benefits, without helping to bear the cost of attaining those benefits.
3. Incentives as Solutions to the Free Rider Problem
If free riding is so common, why are there so many interest groups, and why is interest group membership so high in the United States? One reason is that free riding can be overcome in a variety of ways.
Some interest groups can maintain themselves by obtaining financial support from patrons outside the group. Groups with financial resources have an advantage in mobilizing, in that they can offer incentives or hire a lobbyist. Smaller groups may be more homogenous, and this may make it easier to reach consensus. It is also more obvious when any single person does not contribute. Group leaders also play an important role in overcoming collective action problems. More charismatic or effective leaders can attract an engaged following.
More generally, political scientists have identified incentives that interest groups offer to induce individuals to participate. Some groups offer material incentives, which are tangible benefits of joining a group.
EXAMPLE
AARP offers discounts on hotel accommodations and insurance rates to its members while keeping dues very low so that members can actually save money by joining.
Groups may also offer solidary incentives, which provide the intangible emotional or psychological benefit of joining with others who have the same concerns or are similar in other ways. Some scholars suggest that people are naturally drawn to others with similar concerns.
EXAMPLE
The NAACP is a civil rights group concerned with promoting equality and eliminating discrimination based on race, and members may join to associate with others who have dealt with issues of inequality.
Similarly, purposive incentives relate to the issues or causes promoted by the group.
EXAMPLE
Individuals concerned about the rights of the unborn might join National Right to Life, the nation’s largest and oldest pro-life organization. Those who believe that a woman should have the right to choose whether or not to have an abortion might join the National Organization of Women (NOW).
People feel so passionately about some issues that being part of these groups is a reward in and of itself.
Finally, sometimes collective action problems are overcome because there is little choice about whether to join an organization. In the past, union membership could be required of workers, particularly in urban areas controlled by political machines consisting of a combination of parties, elected representatives, and interest groups. Today, workers may be required to pay union membership dues in certain states, such as New York, even if they do not join the union.
terms to know
Material Incentives
Substantive monetary or physical benefits given to group members to help overcome collective action problems.
Solidary Incentives
Benefits based on the concept that people like to associate with those who are similar to them.
Purposive Incentives
Benefits to overcome collective action problems that appeal to people’s support of the issue or cause.
summary
In this lesson, you learned about the factors that contribute to interest group power, including money, membership, quality of leadership, and ability to effectively implement interest group strategies. You discovered, however, that interest groups face challenges in activating membership to donate and participate due to the free rider problem. Many groups offer material, solidary, and purposive incentives as solutions to the free rider problem.
