Transcript Civil Society, Interest Group Systems, and the Media

Civil Society, Interest Group Systems,
and the Media
Chapter 4--P. 68-76
Part 1: What is Civil Society?
The student will be able to identify the three/four factors that
establish civil society.
A Civil Society Is…
 A society in which people are involved in social and political
interactions free of state control or regulation
 Access to free communication and information
 Global civil society associated with interconnectedness
Ia. Social and Political Interactions
 These interactions include:
 Community groups, voluntary associations, religious groups
 Ability to directly participate in the government
 Can happen in person or online etc.
 These interactions teach us:
 Political Skills and Cooperative Relations
 The political process is as important as the results.
Ib. Free of State Control or Regulation
 Limited regulations of association, assembly, petition.
 Groups outside of organized government institutions:
 Like legislative bodies
 Political parties
 Groups are not coerced into articulation or non-articulation
of beliefs.
 This can help individuals better articulate their political
ideals and can be more clear or precise than an election.
II. Access to free communication and
information
 Must be able to consume ideas from the “mass media”
 Newsprint
 Television, etc.
 Access to the internet
 Connectedness to the global civil society
 Interdependence drives articulation because your audience goes
beyond your own borders
 Is it really empowering?
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk8x3V-
sUgU&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLE0CDA262ADBA78
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III. Global Civil Society Associated with
Interconnectedness
 This is discussed above with the internet idea
 We are focusing on the transition to a “global community”
where we focus on interest articulation not only within our
own borders, but abroad as well.
 US Consumers on Chinese Labor Violations
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oKZFFCAHCI
Section II: Interest Group Systems
The student will compare and contrast pluralist systems, neocorporatist systems, and controlled systems.
Interest Group Systems
 Relationship between interest groups and government
policymaking institutions is important feature of political
process
 Three major groupings:
 Pluralist
 Democratic Corporatist
 Controlled
Pluralist Interest Group Systems
 Multiple groups represent single interest
 Labor, business, professional interests
 Sub labor groups, sub professional organizations etc.
 Group membership is voluntary, limited
 Often due to competition
 Often have loose or decentralized organizational structure
 Clear separation between interest groups and the government
The Best Example of Pluralism: US
• Think of our discussions of interest groups in the US from
last semester.
• Multiple Groups
• Conflicting Interests
• Separate from Policy Making sphere, but can influence the
Outcomes
• This model is often seen as the most “democratic”
Democratic Neo-Corporatist Interest Group
Systems
 Single peak association represents each interest
 i.e. an industrial group, one major business group
 Membership is often compulsory and universal
 Centrally organized and directs actions of members
 Unlike in a pluralist system where unions are combative with each
other
 Groups are systematically involved in making, implementing
policy
 They take part in negotiations, they are at the table while legislation
happen
 Germany is an excellent model of this system.
 Formal Memberships on government commissions, access to policymaking
entities
Mexico: A Great Example!
 Groups are tied to the political parties
 Thus, interests are more represented when their party is in
power
 However, Mexico is in transition
 If they transition to a more democratic system, then their
groups might separate themselves from their parties so they can
be influential regardless of who is in power
Successes with this model
 Better negotiations between government and industry.
 Better at implementing environmental policy.
 Better at sustaining employment.
Why do we believe these claims are true or false?
Controlled Interest Group Systems
 Single group for each social sector
 Membership is often compulsory
 Each group is hierarchically organized
 Groups are controlled by government to
mobilize support for government policy
The Best Explanation
 Control.
 These unions are created and compulsory so the government
can force acceptance to policy.
 Best Examples
 Former communist nations
 I.E. 90% of Chinese citizens are in a union
 Unions are subordinated to the party
 Interest articulation is only for the leaders of the groups.
(Which tend to be higher-ups in the party anyway)
China: A Case Study
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIVqEvsbgig
Before we move on
 Look at your groups or lack of groups you found in your
research during your reading, meet with your country
partners.
 Which system does your country fall into?
 If I categorized your country, why is my description accurate or
inaccurate?
 Does your country meet the qualifications of being a “civil
society?”
Section 3: Access to the Influential
The student will identify which channels of political access are the
most successful in influencing public policy.
Access to the Influential
 Interest groups must reach key
policymakers through channels of
political access
 Legitimate, constitutional channels of
access
 Illegitimate, coercive channels of access
Copyright © 2012, 2010, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Legitimate Access Channels
 Personal Connections: effective means of shaping
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attitudes and conveying messages
Mass Media: mobilize support
Political Parties: represent
interests
Legislatures: lobby target
Government Bureaucracies:
policymaking authority
Coercive Access Channels and Tactics
 Feelings of relative deprivation motivate people to act
aggressively
 Frustration, discontent, anger yields greater probability of
collective violence
 Riots (spontaneous)
 Strikes/Obstructions (coordinated)
 Political Terror Tactics (assassination, armed attacks, mass
bloodshed)
 More likely to have negative consequences
The Politics of Terror
 Is terrorism a political act, or do we just politicize acts of
terrorism?
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az7yl-UnsQQ
 Do two things as you watch this video:
Be able to answer the above question.
2. Can you identify any other coercive political acts that are
covered in the clip?
1.
Groups and Channels
 To understand policy formulation, need to know which
groups articulate interests, their policy preferences,
channels of influence used
Section 4: Interest Group
Development
The student will identify the factors that allow interest groups to
develop in nations.
The student will identify conditions for the progression of interest
groups in their country.
Interest Group Development
 Diversity of interest groups is a consequence of modernization
 Successful democratic development leads to emergence of complex
interest group systems
 Not an automatic process - many problems involved:
 Level of trust shared among members of society
 Authoritarian parties/bureaucracies may suppress autonomous interest groups
 Bias within interest group system
 Levels of participation in associational groups declining
 Change in how citizens organize, express interests