chAPTeR seven • InTeResT GRouPs AnD PolITIcAl PARTIes 145
Social Movement
A movement that
represents the demands
of a large segment of
the public for political,
economic, or social
change.
Free-Rider Problem
The difficulty that interest
groups face in recruiting
members when the
benefits they achieve can
be gained without joining
the group.Madison’s view, would work to discourage the formation of an oppressive majority
interest.
Poll data show that more than two-thirds of all Americans belong to at least one
group or association. Although the majority of these affiliations could not be classified as
“interest groups” in the political sense, Americans certainly understand the principles of
working in groups.
Today, interest groups range from the elementary school parent-teacher association
and the local “Stop the Sewer Plant Association” to the statewide association of insurance
agents. They include small groups such as local environmental organizations and national
groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Education Association, and
the American League of Lobbyists.Interest Groups and social movements
Interest groups are often spawned by mass social movements. Such movements repre-
sent demands by a large segment of the population for change in the political, economic,
or social system. A social movement is often the first expression of latent discontent with
the existing system. It may be the authentic voice of weaker or oppressed groups in society
that do not have the means or standing to organize as interest groups.
The civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s was clearly a social movement.
To be sure, several formal organizations worked to support the movement—including the
Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People, and the Urban League—but only a social movement could generate the
kinds of civil disobedience that took place in hundreds of towns and cities across the country.
Social movements may generate interest groups with specific goals. In the example of
the women’s movement of the 1960s, the National Organization for Women was formed
in part out of a demand to end gender-segregated job advertising in newspapers.Reasons to Join—or not Join
Individuals may join interest groups for a variety of reasons. We can identify three types of
incentives for joining.Three Reasons to Join. People may join an interest group for companionship and the
pleasure of associating with others who share their enjoyments. We can call these benefits
of association solidary incentives.
Some interest groups offer material incentives. For example, people may join the
American Automobile Association (AAA) for emergency roadside assistance and trip plan-
ning. Members may not realize that the AAA is also an interest group seeking to shape
laws that affect drivers.
Finally, members may join interest groups precisely because they want to pursue polit-
ical or economic goals through joint action. Such purposive incentives are important when
individuals feel strongly about issues.Those who Do not Join. It can be rational for someone not to join an interest group
even when that person stands to benefit from the group’s activities. A dairy farmer, for
example, will benefit from the lobbying of the American Dairy Association whether he
or she joins the organization or not. The difficulty that interest groups face in recruiting
members when benefits can be obtained without joining is referred to as the free-rider
problem. This problem is especially acute for labor unions, as we explain in the Politics
and Economics feature later in this chapter.Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
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