Chapter 2
In what way does Anzia believe previous local interest literature falls short?
Interest group activity can be hard to decipher and therefore not be accounted for in previous quantitative studies
Define an interest group in similar terms that Anzia does in the interest group survey
"an interest group includes a variety of organizations and groups active in politics, including businesses, institutions, and membership groups (regardless of whether their members are individuals or institutions"
Businesses have greater activity in local politics when they have a large, direct, and economic stake in...(there's 3 answers and you must answer them all)
Economic development, property development, and land use
True or false: interest group activity in local politics conforms to the national model
False
What is the dependent variable in Anzia's study?
Public policy
Does Anzia use a quantitative or empirical approach to studying local interests?
Empirical
True or False: interest groups are more likely to be active in Republican and right-leaning ideological municipalities
False
Who are the three leading interest groups reported to be active in local politics concerning land use?
Developers, neighborhood associations, and chambers of commerce
Do interest groups operate by working alongside local officials or as umbrella coalition groups?
Alongside local officials
What are the independent variables in Anzia's study? (I am looking for a broad answer)
Measures of interest group activity
What approach does Anzia use for his empirical study?
Policy-focused approach
Anzia stratifies the sample by size. List the groups in order from having the largest sample proportion to the smallest (think of the pie chart)
Fewer than 50,000 (59.8%), between 50,000 and 250,000 (32.5%), and more than 50,000 (7.8%)
Name three of the top five interest groups most active in cities with more than 50,000 people
Developers, chambers of commerce, police unions, firefighter unions, neighborhood associations
These groups are also the most active interest groups in city elections
What is the ULCA Theory of Parties?
Political parties are influenced by forming coalitions with interest groups
What are the three conditions of interest group influence?
1. Homogenous within interest group policy preferences
2. Distinctiveness of policy preferences
3. Focus on policies that affect a group in a large, economic, and direct way
What three factors shape interest?
Size of stake, economic interests, and directness
True or false: it is more likely that government expenditures influence interest group activity rather than the other way around
False, interest group activity is more likely to influence government expenditures
Name three of the top five issues in city elections
Economic development, roads and infrastructure, property development and zoning, policing and law enforcement, traffic and transportation
What two assumptions does Anzia confront in this chapter?
That local politics conform to national models and interest groups must be immersed in political parties.
What two independent variables have the highest levels of correlation with interest group activity?
Population and city scope
What are the three empirical analyses that Anzia uses in his policy-focused approach?
1. Historical analysis
2. Compare policies across subnational governments
3. Cross-sectional analysis
What three datasets does Anzia draw her data from?
City Interest Groups Survey, monetary contributions in WA and SC localities, and the City Elections Survey
Among the most active interest groups, what are the top two types of interest group electoral activities?
Endorsement and money
Why may interest groups not need political parties?
Policy benefits outweigh the costs of affiliating with with one of two competing parties, there's more access to policy makers on local levels, and there's more power to influence elections
Name five of the eight types of interest group activity listed by Anzia
Endorsement, testimonial hearings, attending public meetings, threats to strike/mobilize workers, encourage advocacy/donations, sitting on boards/commissions, collective bargaining, and agenda setting/blocking change