Interest Groups in Texas

GOVT 2306

Along with political parties, interest groups are private organizations that attempt to influence public policies.

But they do so without seeking public office, so they do not have to deal with

the electoral rules that condition the nature of political parties.

Rather than only having two major political parties, there are thousands of groups in

the state that focus on the needs of discreet, isolated groups within the state.

In addition, there are national interest groups within the state that tie the

interests of state residents with those of the nation as a whole.

Useful External Reading:

Texas Politics: Interest Groups

Also,

From the Texas Tribune Topics

Interest Groups

What are interest groups?

There are many definitions, here’s one from the

Encyclopedia Britannica.

“interest group, also called special interest group or pressure group, any association of individuals or organizations, usually formally

organized, that, on the basis of one or more shared concerns, attempts

to influence public policy in its favor.”

James Madison noted the tendency of people to form groups, as well as the fact that in a free society these groups must exist, and will be

clustered around the various interests that exist in society at any moment in

time.

He called them factions. Here is his definition of factions:

“By a faction, I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of

passion, or of interest, [adverse] to the rights of other citizens, or to the

permanent and aggregate interests of the community.”

This is a critical point:

Interest groups exist because the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution

guarantees both the right of people to peacefully assemble, and to petition

the government for a redress of grievances.

One quick point however:

Madison doesn’t say anything about what these factions would actually look like. Todays interest groups are organized groups with staffs and funding sources, not ad-

hoc groups.

There are a large number of interest groups in Texas.

Generally we assume that the number of interest groups that

exist in the state corresponds to the number of interests that exist

in the state.

This reflects the concept of pluralism.

Interest groups are a consequence of individual freedom.

But they can pose a major problem for democracies.

Madison warned against the evolution of majority factions since they could turn

democracies into tyrannies.

He suggested that large number of interests would divide these majority

groups into smaller segments and make majority tyranny less likely to occur.

But this comes at a price

The more interest groups that exist, the less dynamic government

can become.

A minority group “may clog the administration” and “convulse the

society.” Either option is better than tyranny, but it does have

consequences.

1 - It can lead to gridlock

2 – It can lead to unresponsive government

The principle problem is that connected groups may be able to establish politics

that benefit them and make it difficult for those policies to be changed.

This can make it difficult for changes to be made since those changes might

jeopardize the benefits already received by groups.

Mancur Olson, in a book entitled the Rise and Decline of Nations, argued that as societies develop,

strong special interest lobbies evolve that make them less

efficient and dynamic.

“The thesis of this brilliant book is that the longer a society enjoys

political stability, the more likely it is to develop powerful special-

interest lobbies that in turn make it less efficient economically.”

Jonathan Rauch builds on this idea and calls it Demosclerosis.

He argues that the rise of interest groups has led to a type of paralysis in government.

Demosclerosis is democratic government's progressive loss of

the ability to adapt.

Once programs are established, groups that benefit from them

coalesce around the programs and do what they can to keep it in

place as is.

Any change can jeopardize their interests.

As we will see below, interest groups (the good ones) are able to

cobble relationships with the principle actors involved in a

program that benefits them, and this is the mechanism that

enhances and maintains their interests.

Next Topic

What Kinds of Interest Groups Exist?

There are many ways to categorize interest groups – no one is

necessarily better than any other.

Its not like our ability to categorize governing institutions into those that are legislative, executive, or

judicial in function.

For lists you might want to look at these:

- Tannahill- Cliff’s Notes

- X-Roads - Pearson

They types of interest groups that exist mirrors they types of

interests that exist in the state – and by extension the nation.

Tannahill’s list is typical, he cites the following:

Business Groups and Trade AssociationsProfessional Associations

Organized LaborAgricultural Groups

Racial and Ethnic Minority GroupsReligious Groups

A simpler way to approach this question is to divide groups into these

two types: public and private.

The simple difference between the two is that public groups address issues that are common to everyone (like clean air and education) while private groups address issues that benefit their members (like

business and professional organizations and labor unions).

With that in mind: all groups like to argue that the benefits they receive will at least indirectly

benefit the public welfare.

An example of a Texas public interest group:

Environment Texas

An example of a Texas private interest group:

Texas Business Alliance

Which some argue may be the most powerful interest group in the state.

Sometimes drawing a precise distinction between public and

private groups is difficult.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform can be considered to be both a public

interest group and a private group.

Limits on lawsuits are argued to enhance business opportunities and the jobs that come with it, which benefits the overall

economy, but it provides specific benefits for businesses that engage in enterprises

that make them subject to lawsuits.

Why does this distinction matter?

Because it tells us something about the dynamics of group formation, even

though we are a majoritarian democracy, the larger groups may be less powerful than the smaller groups.

What do interest groups do?

Here are four things:

1 - Organize individuals with similar interests

2 - Organize electoral competition

3 - Organize government

4 - Link the state and local political system to the national political system.

Let’s look at each in turn:

1 - Organize individuals with similar interests

While people may have a shared interest in some matter, that is seldom enough. Interest do not

speak for themselves. There has to be an organized method in place to

represent those interests.

But this can be difficult to do.

Problem: Not all interests are easily converted into groups.

Not every group can easily overcome the free rider problem.

Here’s the basic question presented by the Free Rider

Problem:

Why work for collectively for a groups’ goals if you will benefit from it even if you don’t do any work? If the benefit

can’t be separated between those who contribute and those who do not.

If you’ve ever tried to organize a group of people you know this.

There is little need to join a group, if you will benefit from the group’s

efforts even if you do not contribute. But if everyone thinks this way, the group will not form,

and its objectives will not be reached.

For a more thorough definitions of the Free Rider Problem: Stanford

In order for a group to be formed, there has to be a driving force

making it happen.

A political entrepreneur has to develop incentives for people to

join the group. They have to convince members to avoid the

temptation to free rider.

Political Entrepreneur

Notable Policy Entrepreneurs:

Richard Mellon ScaifeJames Leininger

This person has to figure out how best to overcome the free rider

problem that prevents individuals that have a common interest from working together to achieve that

interest.

Olson pointed out that these individuals provide selective benefits to individuals

that they would not be able to get if they were not members of the group and did

not participate to further the group’s objectives.

A selective benefit is a reward or punishment that fosters cooperation among a group of people who might

otherwise free ride.

There are four basic types of Selective Incentives

MaterialPurposiveSolidary

Informational

Material

Members are encouraged to join because they will receive material

benefits if they do so. Jobs or business opportunities for

example.

Purposive

Joining the group helps one advance a grand “purpose” such as cleaner air, greater public morality, or some other intangible reward.

Solidary

Joining the group puts one in touch with other, similarly minded

people. Social options increse

Informational

The group makes its members privy to information they cannot

get elsewhere.

Material interests tend to be the most effective for organizing

people. This makes sense if you think about it. People are more

likely to be motivated by something that profits them than

by other concerns.

2 - Organize electoral competition

Interest groups become heavily involved in election campaigns in

order to gain access to officeholders after the election.

Members of groups want to be seen as being central supports of

members of Congress and the executive branch because that

makes it more likely that they will invited to help craft the legislation

and rules that will affect them.

If the group is not especially wealthy, they can rally supporters

to assist the election.

The term used for this is “electioneering.”

It allows entry for an interest groups’ lobbyists.

3 - Organize government

A key goal of interest groups is to establish connections with people

in each of the branches of government.

Ideally they forge relationships with the various institutions that

have some authority around a defined policy area.

Sub-Governments

Iron TrianglesThe Texas Star

Since the judiciary is elected, judges can become part of sub-

governments in the state.

4 - Link the state and local political system to the national political

system.

Since Texas is in a federal system, relationships sometimes also have to be established with the national

government.

How influential are interest groups in Texas?

According to this table, there are five options.

Texas is dominant / complimentary

According to the table contained here, there are five levels of strength that interest

groups have in the states.

Interest groups in Texas are dominant complimentary.

The Free Rider Problem

Because of the free rider problem, it is easier for interest groups to form around private goods than

public goods.

Not all groups are equally capable of being organized successfully.

Private groups that can provide material incentives to potential

members are more likely to form effective groups.

Examples:

Business GroupsProfessional Associations

Labor Unions

Ironically – given that we live in a majoritarian democracy – larger

groups can be less effective.

They are more difficult to organize and are more likely to suffer from

free ridership.

This includes the poor, students, children, consumers, etc….

In addition, not all groups are likely to be politically engaged.

What do interest groups do to promote their interests?

Getting involved in elections

Voter GuidesIssue Advertisements

Campaign Contributions

Here’s a list of voter guides from interest groups in Texas complied

by Project Vote Smart.

This helps establish relationships with elected officials and makes it

more likely that the group will receive favorable treatment from

each branch.

In Texas, the Governor is responsible for appointing the members of approximately 125 multimember boards and commissions. These

boards and commissions, some with broad policy mandates, make public policy on the often narrowly defined issues around which

organized interests are likely to form. Consequently, organized interests, including

businesses, associations, lobbying groups, and law firms, seek policy making appointments for

their representatives in these government agencies. – source.

Lobbying

Lobbying refers to …..

Types of lobbyists

contractin-house

The typical lobbyist makes more money than a typical member of

the Texas Legislature.

Ex-members of the legislature, and other top government officials can

become successful lobbyists.

Petition Drives

Public Demonstrations

Media Campaigns

Attending Public Meetings