POLI 100E, Interest Group Politics: Topic 2, Why are there so Many Interest Groups?

Elmer Eric Schattschneider (1892 - 1971).
Author of Party Government, 1942, and
The SemiSovereign People, 1960

Topic 1, Why Study Interest Groups?
Topic 2, Why are There so Many Interest Groups?
Topics 3 and 4, Theories of Interest Groups
Topics 5 and 7, Interest Groups and Congress
Topic 6, Interest Groups and National Elections

1. Schattschneider's Theory of Political Conflict
   
   The Contagiousness of Conflict
   Privatization vs. Socialization of Conflict
   20^th Century Trends that have Increased the Socialization of Conflict
   20^th Century Trends in Voting and Turnout
   20^th Century Trends in Information Technology
   
   
2. Increase In the Size and the Complexity of Both the Economy and the Government
   
   Real Per Capita Income Growth 1929 - 2001
   Federal Budget 1940 - 2004, Defense and Non-Defense
   Federal Budget by Category
   Federal Budget as Percent of GDP
   
   
3. Background on Current Controversies: Social Security
   
   Social Security Receipts and Expenditures
   Social Security Trust Fund
   Assets of the Social Security Trust Fund for 2003 and 2004
   Bureau of the Public Debt: Summary of Treasury Securities Outstanding, March 31, 2005
   Constitutional Basis of the Public Debt
   The Paradox of Sovereign Omnipotence
   Do the Assests of the Trust Fund "Exist"?
   
   
4. Background on Current Controversies: Income and Estate Tax Rates
   
   Top Marginal Income Tax Rate, 1916 - 2003
   Estate Taxes, 1916 - 2010
   Union Membership, 1930 - 2003
   The Minimum Wage, 1938 - 2003
   Percent Foreign Born, 1880 - 2002
   Voting and Citizenship by Income, 2000
   Declining Real Income Non-Citizens, 1972 - 2000
   
   
5. The Variety of Groups that Lobby Congress
   
   Total Lobbyist Spending 1997 - 2000