1010 Class 5: The Role of Interest

Groups in Canada
 Part 1: What is an Interest
Group?
1. Interest groups are any group, organization or
business that has a stake in government policy
or the legislative process.
2. They can be from the business community, the
non-profit community, unions, or even from a
transnational organization
3. They are concerned with the process by which
demands brought to the attention of the public
and policy makers.
 What is an interest Group?
4. They are for the most part representative of a
broader group of individuals.
5. They are is best seen in the various techniques
used to bring their concerns to the attention of
public policy makers.
6. Examples include, Greenpeace, Canadian
Soft Drink Industry, Ontario Association of
Hunters and Anglers, Ontario Medical
Association, CAW etc.
 Channeling of Information
► The ability of interest groups to channel
information is actually an important part of
representative government.
► It is important to understand why interest
groups they exist, what they do, how they
do it and how they relate to other
institutions and groups.
 Interest Groups
► Are seen as adaptive
instruments of political
communication.
► They are very good at
identifying where power is
located.
► They adjust their
relationships as power
shifts.
► Interest groups differ from
other groups seeking
change.
 Other Groups: The Mob
► Transitory, a product of
chance.
► May win clearly stated and
immediate goals.
► The Mob cannot provide
for the future because it
cannot provide for its own
existence.
► Lacks organization
capacity and direction.
 Other Groups: Movements
► Exist over time
► Represent generalized
progressions of public
opinion.
► Consist of too many
elements to be described
as a distinct unit.
► A nationalist movement
are not an interest group
for example.
Interest Groups: Feature #1
► Are not a political party.
► Most political parties
seek power in
government.
► Interest groups do not
seek power, they seek to
influence power.
► Any power they do have
is delegated to them by
government.
► OMA.
Interest Groups: Features #2

► They are organized.

► They are an
association of
individuals that exist
within a formal
structure.
► Example. Ontario
Medical Association
Interest Groups: Features #3
► Organizational capacity.
► The organization is the
articulation of common
interests.
► The organization allows
them to identify what
demands they want to
pursue.
► Debate allows for the
achievement of common
agreement and support.
Interest Groups: Features #4
► Membership.
► Refers to the willingness of
supporters to list themselves
as dues paying participants in
an organization.
► It is central to the legitimacy
and the influence of an
interest group.
 Functions of Interest Groups
► Act as an electoral signaling mechanism to
government.
► Aggregating interests; groups are able to
aggregate issues into more manageable units.
They often represent minority voices thus
tempering majority voices.
► Providing information to government. Interest
groups have very specialized knowledge about the
individuals they represent.
 Functions of Interest Groups
► Contributing to policy development and suggesting
changes in public policy.
► Providing resources. Interest groups can help
finance political parties and their candidates.
► Interest groups can act for government by
providing assistance in the delivery of programs.
Example would be immigrant assistant groups.
 Part 2: Types of Groups
► InstitutionalGroups
► Issue Oriented Groups
► Staff Groups
► Membership Groups
► Single Issue
► Protest Groups
► Public Interest Groups
 Institutional vs. Issue Orientated
Groups
► Institutional Groups are characterized by
having:
► organizational continuity and cohesion.
► extensive knowledge in areas related to
government
► Concrete and immediate objectives
► Stable membership
► Easy communications
 Institutional vs. Issue Orientated
Groups
► Issue Orientated Groups are
characterized by having:
► Limited organizational continuity.
► Limited knowledge in areas related to
government
► Fluid and changing membership
► Difficulty defining long term objectives
► Are likely to engage in unorthodox tactics.
 Staff vs. Membership Groups
► The key difference is whether the group seeks
membership or not.
► Staff Groups don’t have a membership base.
► They seek donations from individuals to support
various causes as identified by their staff.
► The staff have a high commitment to the cause as
it is often their means of income.
► The donors may be called members even though
they have no role in governance.
► Example. Greenpeace
 Single Issue and Protest Issue
Groups
► These groups are characterized by having a single
issue for which the organization was founded.
► Examples of these groups include various
environmental causes and pro or anti-abortion
groups.
► They are difficult to deal with as compromise on
their single issue is often viewed as a betrayal by
the membership.
 Public Interest Groups
► These groups are characterized by desiring a
collective good which might not benefit individually
the members of the organization.
► Membership in these groups is voluntary and is
open to all.
► Examples include ethnic or multicultural groups,
language rights groups and women’s or disabled
person’s groups.
 Corporate Interest Groups
► While many benevolent and charitable
interest groups do exist, perhaps the most
influential and best funded interest groups
are those run by the business community.
 Why do they lobby?
► Business have a great deal of common interests
that they may work together on.
► These include, political stability, legal rights,
macro-economic stability, lowering taxes, and
access to foreign markets.
► In the areas of common interest business are
usually represented by umbrella groups such as
the Ontario Chamber of Commerce or the
Association of Canadian Bankers.
 Why do they lobby?
► Business also have conflicting interests that
they may work against each other together on.
► These include seeking competitive advantages
over rivals, regulatory approval, tax differentials,
drug approvals, government contract, trade
exemptions and legislative advantages.
► In the areas of conflicting interests companies
often seek advice from either an in house
government relations specialist or an outside
government relations firm.
 How do they operate?
► Interest groups use a great deal of money and
resources to effect public policy change.
► These dollars are derived from two sources.
1. Donations and grants from their members or monies
from the broader community.
2. Government support, through tax deductions or
otherwise.
 How do they operate?
► They directly lobby
government on an almost
daily basis.
► They contribute to the
making and implementing of
public policy.
► They are viewed by
governments in general as
spokespeople for a segment
of the electorate.
► Whether you know it or not,
some interest group is
speaking for you.
 Objective: Influence Public Policy
► Public policy development and legislation is by
and large a public process.
► Legislation is tabled in the house or legislature,
and is debated in committees.
► The object of a government relations specialist
is in introduce his opinions and thoughts into
this process, often prior to it becoming debated
in the public realm.
► This can be targeted at many different entities
in government.
 Targets for Influence
► Governments
► Cabinet
► Political
Parties
► Public Servants
► Voters
 Part 3: How Interest Groups Try to
Influence Public Policy
► Direct Influence Techniques
► Direct Lobbying
► Stimulation of the Grass Roots
► Direct Action Activities
► Litigation
► Coalition Building
 How Interest Groups Try to
Influence Public Policy
► Indirect Techniques
► Media and Public Relations
► Advocacy Advertising
► Think Tanks
► Election Related Activities
► Doing Favors
 Persuasion
► The first tool that interest groups manifest is to try
to persuade government to pursue the policies
that they advocate.
► They hope that the force of logical and well
prepared arguments will be enough to persuade
reluctant public policy administrators that their
proposals should be adopted.
► Failing that they will look to the public for support.
 Persuasion
► The effectiveness of persuasion
depends largely on the
organization
1. Persistence
2. Extensive knowledge of the issue
at hand
3. Extensive financial resources
4. Continuity
► This is what differentiates
interest groups from a mob or a
movement.
 What is it they seek to influence?
► New statutes or amendments to legislation
► Regulations
► Decisions by regulatory agencies, AGCO, CRTC
► Cabinet Decisions
► Ministerial statements
► Annual Budget
► Loans and loan guarantees
► Procurement contracts
► Appointments to government commissions
► Trade agreements
 Direct Techniques: Lobbing
►A lobbyist is one who seeks to influence public
policy. More informal than formal.
► They often go unnoticed working behind the
scenes.
► They often get what they want, and yet do not
cause a ripple in Parliament.
► They often know more about government than do
public administrators or politicians.
► Prefer to be known as government relations
specialists or advisors in public affairs.
 Growth of Lobbying
► As governments grew in the 1970’s and 1980’s in
Canada and the United States, so did the business
of government relations.
► The business of government became increasingly
more complicated and difficult for the public to
understand.
► Emerging from this was a proliferation of issue
specialists, who often knew more about individual
issues than most legislators.
► The came from almost any group you can name.
 Tools of the Lobbyist
► Most government
relations work is done
behind the scenes in
informal settings.
► Lunches, dinners, golf
games, and nights out
are the stock in trade
of the lobbyist.
► Why is this?
 The best approach to lobbying
► Draw attention to elements of public policy that are
inconsistent with prior commitments or policies of the
government.
► Draw attention to elements of public policy that are
consistent with prior commitments of policies of the
government.
► Persuade government to soften the impact of legislation
that will damage or destroy the business of the industry in
question.
► Example: Smoking advertising prohibitions and the
Montreal Grand Prix.
► Good GR also has a polling element attached as well.
 How is this done
► We recall from earlier discussions that public
policy in Canada is multifaceted. The
creation of policy can emerge from many
different sources.
► The first thing that an effective GR
professional must do is determine the
source of new policy and what action or
outcome is preferable to his client.
 Contact vs. Content
► Itis said that there are two types of lobbyists.
Contact and Content. Each is useful in their
own right.
► Contact lobbyists are able to put a client in
contact with a decision maker. They are usually
political, but are light on policy.
► Content lobbyists are usually larger firms who are
much better at developing a policy strategy.
 How is this done
► Ultimately a successful advocacy campaign
is a negotiating process.
► How the lobby defines and plans its
negotiating strategy will dramatically effect
the outcome.
► The advocate needs to understand that
government negotiations differ from
business negotiations in several ways.
Government Negotiation is Unique

1. Government can force people to do what

they might not want to do. (pay taxes)
2. Governments are more sensitive to public
opinion than business.
3. Government has a very complex approval
structure. (Minister, cabinet, legislature)
4. The goals of a government are often
more complex than business.
5. Government are careful about precedent.
6. Governments are constrained by statute.
 Options: Talk to Politicians or the
Public Service
► The key to a successful advocacy campaign is the
degree and quality of advocacy done below the
Ministerial level.
► While most think that lobbying is simply a function
of getting information to the Executive level, this is
simply not the case.
► A good lobbyist provides vital information to the
Civil Service on issues, often engaging in the
writing of public policy.
 Next Steps
► Once the source of public policy is
identified, the GR professional can then
mount his campaign.
► One must be careful to understand going in
what your desired outcomes are.
► If the desired outcome cannot be
accomplished, what are other possible
outcomes that could be effected.
 3 Possible Tools
1. Financial support of
government in
power.
2. Political support of
government in
power.
3. Information that is
valuable to the
government in
power.
 Financial Support
► Interest groups may
spend their own money
on political donations to
support candidates or
parties.
► They can also financially
support policy initiatives
of the government.
► They also will often
support the opposition
for future consideration.
 Political Support
► While financial
donations are nice, to
be seen to support the
government as it
moves forward on its
own initiatives builds
greater trust.
► A cooperative partner
endears itself to the
government in power.
 Information
► An effective lobby knows
not only the objectives of
the government, but the
desires of its members.
► Knowing how your
members vote, polling
data, incomes,
membership, job creation
and your ability to mobilize
support are all important.
► Labour Day
 What if Lobbying Fails
► Iflobbying fails,
then a interest
group can attempt
to mount other
direct techniques
to achieve its goals.
► These should be
considered the
approach of last
resort!
 Direct Techniques: Stimulating the
Grass Roots
► This term has come to refer to people who the
government does not usually hear from on most
issues. These are the so called ‘silent majority’.
► The grass roots can sometimes appear to be
spontaneously aroused on a issue.
► More often than not, that ‘spontaneity’ is the
result of a campaign by an interest group that
leads to the arousal the grass roots.
► The objective is to create an electoral threat.
Direct Techniques: Direct Action
► Like Guerilla Warfare
► It is a popular but
dangerous road for an
interest group to walk.
Often the result is you to
become an outsider in
the public policy process.

•Includes, protest, verbal assault, occupation of

buildings, sabotage, blockades, civil disobedience and
boycotts.
 Direct Techniques: Litigation
► Organizations that fail to achieve their goals by
other means may look to the courts.
► Litigation may be used to put in an injunction or to
test various regulatory interpretations.
► Litigation can also be used to pressure a
government politically. Example the Dudley
George civil trial.
 Advantages of Litigation
► Litigation can produce sweeping change in
operative public policy.
► For example, a law may be declared
unconstitutional and the government may not wish
or be able to produce a law with the same effect.
► Litigation often best for the ‘underdog’
► For example, the Gay marriage ruling for
marijuana.
 Disadvantages of Litigation
► Litigation can be extremely costly as governments
are by nature well funded and have great
resources at their disposal.
► The litigation process can also be very lengthy.
► There is a risk that if you loose, not only will you
have to pay for the other sides legal bills, but the
courts may rule in such a way that you are worse
off than before.
 Indirect Techniques: Advocacy
Advertising
► Advocacy advertising is paid commercial messages
that sell ideas to the public instead of products.
► Advocacy adverting is most often used in
conjunction with other actions designed to
influence public policy such as lobbying or in the
case of Greenpeace, direct action.
► Can also be useful in increasing membership.
 Conclusion
► Interest groups seeking to influence the
government are far more numerous than they
were two or three decades ago.
► They have also become more sophisticated.
► Frustration with the limited role that individual
MP’s have in our system has made interest groups
the primary target of electoral reform.
► Litigation and the use of cross-border advocacy
owning to NAFTA is likely to increase.