Organization, Mobilization and Threats

For Tuesday,  read Berry, ch. 4-5, Schatzinger ch. 1.

Remedies for the Olson Problem

I. Incentives

• Selective material
• Purposive
• Solidary

II. Coercion as a solution:  union shops

III. Sponsorship as s solution

• Asymmetric benefits – if one party has much more at stake, it has an incentive to provide – the bigger the group, the less likely.
• Subsidy by rich person or foundation

Control of organization

• Factions within organizations
• Members vs. executives

Why combos of c(3) and c(4)  -- the 501(c)(3) can collect data, issue reports, sponsor events and conduct many other "non-lobbying" activities

ACLU

Activities

• Legal
• Legislative
• Public education

See below: What happened in 2017?

NRA and competition within the gun niche.

NRA's Problems

1. Public support shifts

What happened in 1995?  

2.  Antigun groups finally get traction.

3.  NRA and Russia

• A Russian agent pleaded guilty in a plan to infiltrate the NRA
• It got worse: credible accusations that the NRA was a "foreign asset."
• Boyfriend ends badly.

4.  Looting