Chapter 15

Voluntary associations of people who come together to get the policies that they favor enacted

diffuse groups that educate the public and put pressure on policy makers in an effort to bring about societal change

The belief that citizens impact policy making through their involvement in civil society

groups outside the government that advocate for policy

A theory that political power is distributed among many competing groups, which means that no single group can grow too powerful

A theory that the wealthy elite class has a disproportionate amount of economic and political power

The set of issues to which government officials, voters, and the public are paying attention

political action that occurs when individuals contribute their energy, time, or money to a larger group goal

also called the public good; a public benefit the individuals can enjoy or profit from, even if they do not help achieve it

individuals who enjoy collective goods and benefits from the actions of an interest group without joining

benefits available only to those who join the group

James Madison described factions as self-interested groups, either of a majority or minority, that have the potential to cause harm to the community

groups advocating on behalf of the financial interests of their members

groups that act on behalf of the collective interests of a broad group of individuals

associations focusing on one specific area of public policy, often a moral issue in which they are unwilling to compromise

organizations acting on behalf of local, state, or foreign governments

interacting with government officials in order to advance a groups public policy goals

the movement of individuals between positions in government and lobbying positions

lobbyists contact members of congress directly to advocate for their groups position

a document submitted to a court by someone who isn’t directly involved in the case but wants to provide information or arguments to help the court make a decision.

the mutually beneficial relationship between congress, bureaucracy, and interest groups to promote their shared interests and policy goals

the webs of influence between interest groups, policy makers, and policy advocates.

mobilizing interest group members to pressure their representatives by contacting them directly through phone calls, email, and social media.

a public demonstration designed to call attention to the need for change

intentionally breaking a law to call attention to an injustice