| Term | Definition |
|---|
| interest group | Groups of people seeking to get interest government policy |
| pluralist theory | holds that political power in society does not lie with the electorate, nor with a small concentrated elite, but is distributed between a wide number of groups. |
| elite theory | is a theory of the state which seeks to describe and explain the power relationships in modern society. |
| hyperpluralist theory | asserts that too many groups are getting too much of what they want, resulting in a government policy that is often contradictory and lacking in direction. |
| subgovernments | A network of groups within the American political system that exercise a great deal of control over specific policy areas |
| potential group | All the people who might be interest group members becuase they share common interests. Their always larger than an actual group. |
| actual group | The part of the potential group consisting of members who actually join |
| collective good | Something of value [money, clean air,] that cannot be withheld from a group member |
| free-rider problem | When people reap the benefits from a groups but never officially join. |
| Olson's Law of Large Groups | The larger the group, the further it will fall short of providing an optimal amount of collective good. |
| selective benefits | Goods that people get by joining a group |
| single-issue group | Groups that focus on a single issue and stick to that issue no matter what. |
| lobbying | someone acting on his own behalf directed to gov with the hope of influencing |
| electioneering | direct group involvement in the electoral process |
| PACs | a coorparation, union, or interest group can create a political funding vehicle or (PCA) |
| amicus curiae briefs | serves for the purpose of raising points of view and presenting information in attempt to influence a courts decision |
| class action lawsuits | lawsuits permitting small # of people to sue for others in the same situation |
| union shop | A provision found in some collective bargaining agreements |
| right-to-work laws | State law forbidding requirements that workers must join union to hold jobs |
| public interest lobbies | organizations that seek a collective good |
Combine with other sets
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