Advocacy Explosion

For Wednesday, Hokyoke, ch. 3

The advocacy explosion and the diversification of Americ

Diversification of the population:


Diversification of the economy

• Increased number of businesses
• Jobs that did not exist 10 years ago and interest groups follow
• Digital Marketing Association
• SEO Association

POLICIES MAKE POLITICS:  

• Compliance Officers
• Affirmative Action
• Title IX Administration
• Environmental Industry 

Diminished Barriers to Association

Tocqueville (Lawrence/Mayer ed., p. 518):

It often happens in democratic countries that many men who have the desire or directed toward that light, and those wandering spirits who had long sought each other the need to associate cannot do it, because all being very small and lost in the crowd, they do not see each other and do not know where to find each other. Up comes a newspaper that exposes to their view the sentiment or the idea that had been presented to each of them simultaneously but separately. All are immediately in the shadows finally meet each other and unite. 

Find more statistics at Statista 

Trade and Professional Associations

• The IRS recognized 63,866 trade and professional associations in FY2016.
• Examples
• Many jobs require a license or certification.

Labor Unions

Non-economic

"The flaw in the pluralist heaven is that the heavenly chorus sings with a strong upper-class accent." E. E. Schattschneider, The Semi-Sovereign People (New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1960).

Perceived Costs and Benefits of Policy (compare to Holyoke, p. 23)




Solving the Olson Problem (Holyoke 46-47)

Selective material benefits

• AARP
• American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration (ASHHRA)

Solidary benefits:  AAAE

Purposive benefits:  Unidos

Other solutions:

• Requirements (union shop)
• Subsidy by government, foundation, individual donor