Interest Groups By Theodore Lowi

An interest group is any organization that seeks to influence public policy. Interest groups are found in many societies, America being no exception. Theodore Lowi, Political Science Professor at Cornell University, explores the effects interest groups, or liberal pluralism, has had and will continue to have on politics in the United States. Lowi authored the work in the late 20th century but his arguments are still plausible today. The work is split into four parts, beginning with the origins and background on liberalism in the Unites States, then moving into issues with liberal governments, and lastly the book deals with other government systems beyond liberalism. Lowi himself describes his work as a textbook inquiry into the character of

191-283), Lowi goes on to assert that interest group liberalism demoralizes government because liberal government is unable to achieve justice. Liberal governments are unable to achieve justice because the definition of justice under liberalism is unclear, and difficult to put to use. In fact, the whole idea of this justice is absurd. Lowi determines that liberal government lacks effective rules for government actions to be regulated by, running rampant without constraint like a bull in a china shop. In his final point, Lowi concludes that interest group liberalism in the United States destroys the systems of democracy. Interest groups encourage informal bargaining and a country ruled by interest groups need informal bargaining to succeed. Although this environment is necessary to all political climates, a nation cannot survive on this environment alone or often because it often evolves into a climate of distrust and an unhealthy level of political cynicism (p. 292). Lowi comes to the conclusion that even though interest group liberalism was created to combat absolutist nature of the majority/minority rule in democracy, it instead negates democratic power and leaves public policy

xiii). Since the 1960s, when Lowi authored this text because he believed we were in a state of political crisis, interest groups have grown exponentially. This is due to growth in broad economic developments and growth and specific interests of citizens willing to take an active role in political processes. Interest group ideology has thrived on inadequate planning and overextension. Effective government requires formalities and moral legitimacy. Lowi argues that as long as well-moneyed interests do not grow to exercise an unjustly disproportionate amount of political capitol, interest groups should be welcomed in American politics as a means by which the average citizen can enjoy a greater amount of political efficacy. Lowi points out that nearly every area of government activity currently bears little relevance to the actual conditions they were designed for, and he calls for a return to older government that had consequences and held us responsible for consequences of political decisions because the current system does nothing to aid those who need government support the most, those one welfare and involved in those programs. Instead it is a power-grabbing money pool open for interest groups to take a hold of it,