AP Gov- Interest Groups

25 key terms

interest groups

groups of people who work together for similar interests or goals

theory of participatory democracy

the belief that citizens impact policymaking through their involvement in civil society

civil society

groups outside the government that advocate for policy

pluralist theory

a theory emphasising that politics is mainly a competition among groups

elitist theory

a 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

something of value that cannot be withheld from a potential group member

free riders

individuals who enjoy collective goods and benefit from the actions of an interest group without joining

selective benefits

goods that a group can restrict to those who actually join

economic interest groups

groups that organise to influence government policy for the economic benefit of their members

public interest groups

groups that claim they serve the general good rather than only their own particular interest

single-issue groups

groups that have a narrow interest, tend to dislike compromise, and often draw membership from people new to politics

government interest groups

organizations acting on behalf of local, state, or foreign governments

lobbying

engaging in activities aimed at influencing public officials, especially legislators, and the policies they enact

revolving door

employment cycle in which individuals who work for governmental agencies that regulate interests eventually end up working for interest groups or businesses with the same policy concern

amicus curiae brief

"friend of the court" brief filed by an interest group to influence a Supreme Court decision

iron triangle

coordinated and mutually beneficial activities of the bureaucracy, Congress, and interest groups to achieve shared policy goals

issue network

relationships among interest groups, congressional committees and subcommittees, and the government agencies that share a common policy concern

lobbyist

a person who takes part in an organised attempt to influence legislators

grassroots lobbyist

a person, or group of people, who works to convince a lawmaker to vote for or against a particular issue by participating in rallies or letter-writing campaigns

electioneering

direct group involvement in the electoral process

protest

a public demonstration designed to call attention to the need for change

civil disobedience

intentionally breaking a law to call attention to an injustice

social movements

an organised effort by a large number of people to bring about or impede social, political, economic, or cultural change