234 CHAPTER 8|INTEREST GROUPS
Studies of political parties and interest groups fi nd that some individuals volun-
teer out of a sense of duty or because they enjoy working together toward a common
goal. These benefi ts of participation are called either solidary benefi ts, which
come from working with like-minded people, or purposive benefi ts, which come
from working to achieve a desired policy goal.^5 When these benefi ts are not enough
to prompt participation, groups try other measures to promote active membership.
A second mechanism is coercion, or required participation. Consider labor
unions. They provide public goods to workers by negotiating with management on
behalf of worker-members over pay issues and work requirements. In many cases,
worker-members have to join the union: union shop laws require them to pay union
dues as a condition of their employment.
Finally, selective incentives (also called material incentives) are benefi ts
given only to the members of a given interest group. Thus, for example, A A A mem-
bers can call A A A at any time for emergency service when they have car trouble.
A A A also provides its members with annotated maps and travel guides, discounts
at hotels and restaurants, and other benefi ts. These services mask the interest group
role of A A A. For example, its Foundation for Traffi c Safety delivers research reports
to legislators on topics ranging from lowering the blood alcohol level threshold that
legally defi nes drunk driving to increasing the restrictions on driving by senior citi-
zens.^6 It’s unlikely that many A A A members—who join for the selective incentives—
are aware of the organization’s lobbying eff orts. The inducements drive member-
ship, which funds the organization’s lobbying operation.Resources
The resources that interest groups use to support their lobbying eff orts are people
(the members), money, and expertise. Although we examine interest group strat-
egies in a later section, here we emphasize that a group’s resources infl uence itssolidary benefi ts Satisfaction
derived from the experience of
working with like-minded people,
even if the group’s efforts do not
achieve the desired impact.
purposive benefi ts Satisfac-
tion derived from the experience
of working toward a desired policy
goal, even if the goal is not achieved.
coercion A method of eliminating
nonparticipation or free riding by
potential group members by requir-
ing participation, as in many labor
unions.
selective incentives Benefi ts
that can motivate participation in a
group effort because they are avail-
able only to those who participate,
such as member services offered by
interest groups.
INTEREST GROUPS USE A VARIETY
of tactics to draw attention to
their concerns, including events
designed to generate media
coverage. Jon Davids, a Public
Interest Research Group staffer,
traveled nearly 20,000 miles
across America with an eighteen-
foot infl atable largemouth bass
named Freddie to events that
publicized the dangers of mercury
pollution in lakes and streams.