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MLM 68 - Interest groups, lobbying, money, and the shaping of public policy in the United States* "NOT ESTABLISHED"

Faculty
Niels Bjerre-Poulsen, Associate Professor
Course Coordinator
Niels Bjerre-Poulsen, Associate Professor
Prerequisite/progression of the course
A basic knowledge about the American political system
Course content, structure and teaching
During this course we will analyze the role of interest groups, money and lobbying efforts in the American polity. We will approach the subject from a systemic perspective and look at what implications the widespread access of policy advocacy groups and lobbyists have for American democracy. Through a series of case studies we will then move our focus to the more practical level and look different ways of affecting public policy and on the actual legislative impact of lobbying and advocacy groups - both from the perspective of the lobbyists themselves (some 100.000 people working full-time in Washington and the state capitols) and from the perspective of those who are being lobbied. Among the topics covered during the course are corporate lobbying in Washington, D.C., civic engagement and the role of public interest groups, the problem of “revolving doors” in the American political system, the role of “think tanks” in the legislative process and the influence of special interest groups on American foreign policy, grassroots mobilization and “fake” grassroots mobilization (“astroturfing”). We will also look at the role of money in the process - particularly in the form of direct or indirect contributions to political campaigns, and on the prospects for meaningful campaign finance reform.
The course's development of personal competences
Analytical skills, the ability to understand power relations and policy formulation, empirical knowledge of the American political process, and experience in working with cases.
Learning Objectives
The student must demonstrate:
  • A basic understanding of interest group theory.
  • A practical insight into how the legislative process in Washington, D.C. really works.
  • An ability to analyze the factors that impact the election of political candidates and their options once in office.
  • Knowledge of some of the potential channels of advocacy and influence in the American political system.
Type of examination, exam aids and assessment
Home paper 8-10 pages. Grading according to the 7-point scale. No second examiner.Re-examinations are conducted in the same way as ordinary exams.
Recommended literature
  • Frank Baumgartner et. al., Lobbying and Policy Change: Who Wins, Who Loses, and Why (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2009)
  • Bertram J. Levine, The Art of Lobbying; Building Trust and Selling Policy (Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 2008).
  • Cigler & B. Loomis, Interest Group Politics. 7th Edition (Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 2006) (excerpts)
  • Olson, Mancur. The Logic of Collective Action: Public Goods and the Theory of Groups. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1965. (excerpts)
  • Wright, John R. "PACs, Contributions, and Roll Calls: An Organizational Perspective." American Political Science Review 79 (1985): 400-14.

Last updated by Electives Secretariat 22/06/2010