Interest representation
Description
This course will examine the role of interest organizations in all of their varied forms – social movements, institutions, associations, and membership groups – in politics different levels. In doing so, we will examine theories and empirical research on how organized interests organize in the first place, are governed internally, enter and then interact with each other within populations or interest communities, and seek to influence government policy through lobbying legislatures and executives. Our analysis will be intentionally comparative and consider the range of interest systems found in democratic political systems running from neo-corporatist to pluralist systems. Special attention will be devoted to the EU and US political systems. Throughout the course, we will seek to determine if organized interests ultimately undermine or facilitate the play of democratic politics.
Course objectives
The objective of the course is to become familiar with the full range of issues about the politics of organized interests in both pluralist and neo-corporatist political systems. Moreover, by involving students actively in the lectures, the course also aims at building up their academic skills and skills in social science research in general.
Timetable
Thursday 4-4-2013 13:00 16:00 CDH-SCHOUW A2.04
Thursday 11-4-2013 13:00 16:00 CDH-SCHOUW A2.04
Thursday 18-4-2013 13:00 16:00 CDH-SCHOUW A2.04
Thursday 25-4-2013 13:00 16:00 CDH-SCHOUW A2.04
Monday 29-4-2013 13:00 16:00 CDH-Stichtihage zaal Benoordenhout
Thursday 16-5-2013 13:00 16:00 CDH-SCHOUW A2.04
Thursday 23-5-2013 13:00 16:00 CDH-SCHOUW A2.04
Mode of instruction
The course will be conducted through a mix of lecture and discussion, with an emphasis on the latter. Students are expected to contribute significantly to these discussions based on regular attendance and prior reading of all class assignments.
Assessment method
Regular attendance is required. Grading is based on in-class presentations (30 per cent), participation in class discussions (20 per cent), and a take home exam (24 hours) where students pick one essay question from a list of questions that cut across the discussed class topics (50 per cent). Passing the take home exam (5.5) is a precondition for passing the seminar.
Reading list/Literature
Two texts are assigned for the course and are listed below. The third text listed below is not required, but students may find it a useful supplement to the material covered in the course. However, much of our reading will be the professional journal literature on organized interests, something that is especially true for the literature on European interest systems. Several articles per week will be assigned, with significantly more articles assigned for research masters students than for one-year master students.
David Lowery and Holly Brasher. 2004. Organized Interests and American Government. Boston, Massachusetts: McGraw Hill.
Christine Mahoney, 2008. Brussels versus the Beltway: Advocacy in the United States and the European Union. Washington D.C.: Georgetown University Press.
Frank R. Baumgartner and Beth Leech, 1998. Basic Interests: The Importance of Groups in Politics and in Political Science. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Blackboard
Instructor uses Blackboard. This page is available from of a week before the course commences.
Registration
Via USIS
Contact information
Dr. Anne Rasmussen, rasmussena@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
rasmussena@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
Remarks / Preparation for first session
Students should prepare the following readings for the first session:
Lowery, D. & Brasher, H. (2004) Organized Interests and American Government, New York, McGraw Hill, Chapter 1.
Baumgartner, F. R. & Leech, B. (1998) Basic Interests: The Importance of Groups in Politics and in Political Science, Princeton, Princeton University Press, Chapters 1, 2.
Hojnacki, M., Kimball, D. C., Baumgartner, F. R., Berry, J. M. & Leech, B. L. (2012) Studying Organizational Advocacy and Influence: Reexamining Interest Group Research. Annual review of political science, download at: <http://www.unc.edu/~fbaum/articles/ARPS-submission-16-sep-2011.pdf>
Siaroff, A. (1999) Corporatism in 24 Industrial Democracies: Meaning and Measurement. 36, 175–205.