Group theory offers a fundamentally different way of underst

Chapter 1

Group theory offers a fundamentally different way of understanding politics. Where elite theory focuses on the few at the top, group theory insists that politics is best understood as the interaction of organized interests, groups, competing to influence the decisions of government. It is one of the most influential frameworks in American political science, particularly associated with the works of Arthur Bentley, David Truman, and Earl Latham.

What is a Group?

A group is a number of people who have some interest in common that directs their activity. It is the basic unit of analysis in group theory. But what exactly does this mean in practice? The notes, drawing on David Truman, offer a careful distinction between what a group is and what it is not:

• A group is not necessarily a formally organized body. People who share a common interest, even if they have never met, can constitute a group in the theoretical sense.

• A group is an analytic category or phenomenon. It exists at the same level as any other social fact and it does not require a legal charter or formal membership to be real.

• It stays away from deliberately trying to make people identify with the group as people - the relationship between individuals and groups is one of interest, not sentiment.

An important concept here is the 'potential group.' This refers to people who share common interests but have not yet organized. Their potential to become active is itself a check on the behaviour of organized groups. Governments and organized interests must always take account of what the unorganized majority might do if sufficiently roused. The Group Basis of Politics

According to the notes, which draw heavily on David Truman's theory of political groups, the following are the major elements of this approach:

• In all societies whether they have developed democratic institutions or not - interest groups exist. The difference is only in how they operate and how accessible the political system is.

• The observation which forms the basis of the whole theory of groups is that: men are not naturally isolated atoms but are instinctively group-forming animals.

• The study of politics is therefore the study of the interaction of groups. Political activity is, at heart, group activity.

• Interest is what brings the group together; by interest we mean, not merely economic interest, but the history of group experiences related to resources, status, security, and recognition.

• The government itself functions as a referee in the competition of group interests, not as an autonomous actor with its own interests. Its decisions are the products of the push and pull of organized group pressures.

• Social policy is determined by group pressures, according to this approach. The state at the national level attempts, at any given time, to be a compromise of all the competing pressures applied to it.

Group Theory and the Role of Ideology Truman's work is significant because it helps make the assumption of a movement clear: when a concept is operationalized, it becomes a variable. This is particularly relevant when looking at how groups use ideology to claim legitimacy. Ideology is not just a mask for self-interest - it is also a tool for mobilization. Groups that successfully universalize their particular interest as a general interest gain more political ground. Group Theory and Political Parties

An important extension of group theory is its relationship to political parties. According to the notes, the group theory is, at its core, an alternative to both elite theory and formal institutional theory. Political parties are groups - but they have a special character because their goal is to win control of the formal institutions of government.

The Elton Mayo group and similar management schools found that the informal group within any institution - such as workers in a factory - can exercise more influence over behaviour than formal rules. This insight, originally from organizational psychology, was adopted by political scientists to show that informal group dynamics shape political outcomes at least as much as formal structures.

According to the notes, by 'comprehending' the group, you understand what goes on inside it. This also means that group membership is a more reliable predictor of political behaviour than individual psychology or formal rules. People's political attitudes and loyalties are shaped largely by the groups they belong to. Group Analysis: A Critical Appraisal

Group theory has been enormously influential, particularly in explaining American pluralism. But it has also attracted significant criticism, much of which is captured in the notes: