Special Interest Groups

Special interest groups stand to receive large, direct benefits from special legislation. The costs, on the other hand, are spread over large numbers of tax payers.
Thus it pays special interest groups to organize but it is of little value to others to do so.
- Special interest groups may time their actions to preclude any effective organization by their opposition.

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Notes:

Special interest groups benefit from logrolling. This is the process by which special interest groups support each other. “You vote for my bill and I will vote for yours.”

Single issue special interest groups have been particularly successful during the past 15 to 20 years. Part of the reason for this is the information base that they can draw upon to find potential supporters.