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Headings: Groups and Interests
Groups and Interests
Principles of Politics Exercise
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Content: Generally speaking, any collective interest can form and participate in the pluralist group universe. In The Semisovereign People, political scientist E. E. Schattschneider claimed that affluent interests benefit from the organization of politics in groups; he famously observed that “the flaw in the pluralist heaven is that the heavenly chorus sings with a strong upper class accent” (pp. 34–35). Examining the Collective-Action Principle
The Collective-Action Principle: all politics is collective action and, whereas all cooperation through collective action is difficult, the difficulty mounts as the number of people grows. According to Mancur Olson’s The Logic of Collective Action, the main impediment to collective action in interest groups is the fact that every individual has an incentive to be a “free rider,” reaping the common benefits that result from the contributions of others. Of course, if this is everyone’s incentive, then the puzzle is: Why does anyone contribute to the common good? It is also important to note that the collective-action problem falls disproportionately on some groups.