Interest Groups and Social Movements

· Representation beyond political parties

Pluralism: The view that the competitive battle of groups and individual self-interests produce the public good

Corporatism: Emphasizes coordinated relations between groups and the state.

· Reality is a combination of the two

• Organizations which have some autonomy from government or political parties and try to influence public policy
• Pursue common political goals
• Seek to influence government but unlike political parties do not aspire to take control of it
• Do not run candidates
• Focus is on influencing governments.

• The term social movement refers a variety of political and social collective actions, focussed on issues such as gender equality, sexual freedom, health, civil rights, anti-racism, international development, the environment, and peace.
• Movements focus on issues of a moral and social nature, as well as political.
• Emphasize participatory, inclusionary, and democratic organization
• Make greater use of non-institutional forms of political expression such as protest and public education
• Hold critical attitudes towards bureaucratic and state solutions
• Ultimate goals and forms of action are not negotiable within existing political arrangements

• § E.g., Women’s Movement, Peace Movement, Anti-globalization from Above movement

Social Movements are different from interest groups.

• Less dependent on formal organization since they represent forms of social or political identity
• Define success not in terms of influencing public policy but more generally in changing our understandings of the social and political world
• Focus is on mobilizing people to make changes nationally, globally and in their own lives.

• Protective
• Promotional

Political Consultants and Lobbying

Non-associational

• Communal
• Customary
• Anomic

U.S.A.: PACS and Iron Triangles

Canada: Policy Communities

Britain: Corporatism 1945-1980