INTERES

T
GROUPS
ROD HAGUE MARTIN

DEFINITION
An

interest group is an organized group of

individuals that make policy-related
appeals to government. (crash course@yt)

Interest

groups (also called pressure

groups) are organizations which have
some autonomy from government or
political parties and which try to influence
public policy(Wilson 1990b).

Who Can be the INTEREST

GROUPS?
employers

organizations,
trade unions, consumer
groups, bodies representing
specific industries or
professions and campaigning
organizations seeking to
promote particular causes.

ACHIEVEING ITS GOAL

1.

LOBBYING
They try to
shape policiesby putting
direct pressure
on Elected
officials.

2.

Gather
information they
can provide for
the elected
officials.

Interest Group
Formation
They

emerged in a series of waves

formed by social change (e.g.
industrialization) and expansion of
state activity (e.g. public welfare).

1830-60founding of first
national organizations
1880-1900 Creation of
many business and labour
industrialization
1900-20 Peak Period of
interest group formation
1960-80 Founding of many
environmental and
public interest group

YMCA and many

anti-slavery
groups

CLASSIFYING INTEREST
GROUPS
PROTECTIVE

PROMOTIONA
L

CHANNEL OF ACCES

IRON TRIANGLE

Pluralism

pluralism refers to a political system in

which numerous competing interest
groups exert strong influence over a
responsive government.
Depicts
a
wholeness
process of
dispersed decision making in which the
variety of groups allows government
policies to reflect not juts economic
interest but also social diversity.

CORPORATISM
corporatism

(often called social

partnership in Europe) is a relationship
between the state and interest groups in
which major decisions on domestic
matters emerge from discussion
between the government and peak
associations representing the major
social partners: capital and labour.