French Interest Groups

2013-12715 Bayot, Ama Nikita R.

Interest Groups: The Influence of Non-Occupational Pressure Groups in French Policy Making

Interest Groups

The union between people or intitution that i !orme" !or the purpoe o! opinion an" interet harin# that i ue" to in!luen$e the e!!e$t o! politi$ all throu#hout i uually re!erre" to a interet #roup %&ri#by, 2005'. (omparin# it to )ariou partie, interet #roup, or ometime re!erre" to a preure #roup, ha)e no "eire in takin# part in )ariou ape$t o! the #o)ernment. %Bell, 2002'. *nteret #roup uually !orm to promote a pe$i!i$ $aue a#ree" upon by the member o! the ai" #roup or a $ommon a")o$a$y that woul" bene!it e)eryone in a $ommunity whi$h i uually "one throu#h lobbyin# + a way o! preurin# le#ilator to )ote or propoe a $ertain poli$y or a")o$a$y the #roup wa promotin# %Thoma, 201'.

The Nature of Interest Groups in France

ren$h interet #roup were o!ten known to ha)e a weak hol" in in!luen$in# the politi$al ytem in ran$e %all an" /eeler, 2001'. a$k o! trut, mall number o! mobiliation an" the in"i)i"ualim that i pre)alent in the ren$h are ome o! the !a$tor that ma"e their interet #roup or#aniational abilitie weak % l#ie an" &ri##, 2013'. all an" /eeler aume" three reaon on ren$h interet #roup ine!!e$ti)ene. The !irt aumption wa the $utomary in"i)i"ualim an" reult o! $entraliation4 the e$on" aumption wa the per$eption on interet #roup a ha)in# no authority in poli$y makin# "e$iion, whi$h wa in!luen$e" by the a$obin etho. An" latly, wa the a$ti)e parti$ipation o! the ren$h in o$ial mo)ement or protet. The ai" la$k o! trut in interet #roup $ame !rom the in!luen$e o! Roeau i"eolo#y that only the tate houl" ha)e ultimate power an" $ontrol in the politi$al ytem. Be$aue o! the tate repreentation o! the o)erei#n thu they belie)e that u$h parti$ulariti$ #roup hall not in!luen$e the o)erei#n will. They alo $on$lu"e" that the weak mobiliation in ran$e i "e!ine" by the in"i)i"ualim etablihe" in the ren$h politi$al $ulture. Another reaon wa the "i)i"in# !a$tor in ren$h interet #roup, ha)in# one #roup $lah with ea$h other be$aue o! "i!!erent i"eolo#ie an" per$eption on one $aue or a")o$a$y %l#ie an" &ri##, 2013'. 6hile it ha" been ai" that the nature o! ren$h interet #roup were weak an" ine!!e$ti)e, it i oppoite to the protet a$tion in the $ountry whi$h wa "eeme" to be tron#. The rie in the protet a$tion a$tually $han#e" the en)ironment !or interet #roup, !or ome o! thee

"emontration are uually not arran#e" by interet #roup lea"er be$aue o! the !a$tion ini"e their own #roup %l#ie an" &ri##, 2013'. *nteret #roup who ha)e been on the tru##lin# en" in in!luen$in# the politi$al pro$e, till try to penetrate throu#h lobbyin# !or it wa !oun" to be the mot e!!e$ti)e way in en#a#in# in poli$y makin# or politi$ally relate" "e$iion in a #o)ernment. obbyin# the le#ilator wa ai" to be e!!e$ti)e until the i!th Republi$ be$aue o! the tri$ter power-$entri$ "i$ipline, whi$h ma"e it har" !or interet #roup to break in to the politi$al pro$e a#ain %all an" /eeler, 2001'. eanwhile all an" /eeler !oun" protetin# to be another reort in preurin# the poli$y pro$e. 6here in ran$e, protet a$ti)itie were hi#hly remarkable an" are o!ten known to be e!!e$ti)e in "iruptin# the politi$al ytem. (ae in point, interet #roup lea"er were inter)iewe" an" 809 $laime" protetin# to be e!!e$ti)e an" 229 re!erre" to it a ine!!e$ti)e. Types of Interest Groups in France

A$$or"in# to :. iner, there are two kin" o! interet #roup4 the ;o$$upational interet #roup an" the ;promotional #roup. *t ai" that ;o$$upational interet #roup are #roup relate" with the e$onomi$ !un$tion o! the tate an" ;promotional #roup are the one "ealin# with the iue in #eneral %Bell, 2002'. The mentione" ;promotional #roup $an alo be $lai!ie" un"er ;non-o$$upational #roup whi$h i re!erre" to a a #roup that promote pe$ial interet %e.# tu"ent, )eteran, an" parent' %6ilon, 1<=7'. Occupational Groups in France

*nteret #roup un"er ;o$$upational interet #roup are ai" to be the tate ;o$ial partner an" i $oni"ere" to be important a they are uually the one to in!luen$e the politi$al pro$e in ran$e. Ai"e !rom thi they alo er)e a the bri"#e to $onne$t the e$onomy to the worl", to#ether with the purpoe in promotin# their a")o$a$ie %6ilon, 1<=7'. Thee #roup are $onite" o! union, buine an" owner or#aniation, !armer, an" the liberal pro!eion. Their >ui$k repone to $han#e that i a#aint their a")o$a$y in the e$onomy make them power!ul an" in!luential %Bell, 2002'. Non-Occupational Interest Groups in France

Thee ;non-o$$upational #roup i uually !oun" to ha)e little #o)ernment !inan$ial help, weak an" unor#anie". ot o! the time thee interet #roup !ail to mobilie their member whi$h lea" to their ine!!e$ti)ene in in!luen$in# the #o)ernment. Another $aue o! their ine!!e$ti)ene i the !re>uent tenion between the !a$tion in the ame #roup %6ilon, 1<=7'. A $omparati)e tu"y $on"u$te" by Baum#artner an" 6alker + $on$entratin# on poli$y makin# an" interet #roup pe$i!i$ally in the minitry o! e"u$ation, howe" that poli$y makin#

!or e"u$ation wa tron#ly an" $onitently $onulte" by the ren$h #o)ernment to the lar#e e"u$ational interet #roup whi$h !all un"er the ;non-o$$upational #roup. Althou#h in #eneral ren$h interet #roup in!luen$e )arie "epen"in# on the e$tor o! the e$onomy they are $on$entrate" in whi$h ometime make them weak an" ine!!e$ti)e. ?!ten time, the $on!li$t ini"e their own interet #roup limit them to the power to in!luen$e the minitry o! "u$ation whi$h lea" to the limite" in!luen$e o)er other #o)ernment e$tor too %Baum#artner an" 6alker, 1<=<'. But in ome $ae interet #roup with remarkable an" well-or#anie" member, $an in!luen$e the #o)ernment. ike in the $ae o! the non-o$$upational #roup like the a#ri$ultural an" buine #roup who reporte"ly ha)e mu$h more in!luen$e $ompare" to tra"e union un"er the o$$upational #roup. *n ome $ae, the ren$h #o)ernment "e)elop a relationhip with an interet #roup throu#h time epe$ially when an o!!i$ial nee" a partner !or their tak to be u$$e!ul whi$h alo #i)e eay a$$e to a!!e$t the politi$al pro$e %all an" /eeler, 2001'.

BIBLIOGRP!"

Baum#artner, rank R., an" a$k . 6alker. @"u$ational oli$ymakin# an" the *nteret &roup :tru$ture in ran$e an" the nite" :tate.@ Comparative Politics 21.3 %1<=<'C 273-==. rint. Bell, Da)i" :$ott. @*nteret &roup.@ French Politics Today. New e". an$heterC an$heter , 2002. rint. l#ie, Robert, an" :te)en &ri##. @*nteret &roup.@ French Politics: Debates and Controversies. on"onC Routle"#e, 2000. rint. &ri#by, llen. @(omparati)e oliti$ **C *nteret &roup, oliti$al artie, an" le$tion.@ Analyzing Politics: An Introduction to Political Science. 3r" e". Belmont, (AC Thomon 6a"worth, 2005. rint. all eter A. An" /eeler ohn. E*nteret Repreentation an" the oliti$ o! rotet.F Machine ! et al Developments in French Politics ". New GorkC all#ra)e a$millan, 2001. rint. Thoma, (li)e. @*nteret &roup H oliti$al :$ien$e.@ #ncyclopedia $ritannica %nline. n$y$lope"ia Britanni$a. 6eb. = ?$t. 2015. 6ilon, rank ee. @The ?$$upational &roup.@ Interest&group Politics in France. (ambri"#eC (ambri"#e , 1<=7. rint. 6ilon, rank ee. @The Non- ?$$upational &roup.@ Interest&group Politics in France. (ambri"#eC (ambri"#e , 1<=7. rint.