Interest Groups and Collective Action on the Internet

The Business Roundtable is a unique tune-oriented busy convention. The BRT was open in 1972, founded in the article of faith that the chief executive officers of major corporations should take an increased place in semi policy-making debates and populace policy on economical and life-threatening deal affairs. Indeed, the perfect complaisant station of the BRT is comprised of CEOs. However, a permanent bunghole on the BRT is granted to a company, not its CEO. For example, Philip Condit currently fills Boeings seat on the BRT, just if Boeing replaced Condit as CEO, his replacement would service as Boeings phonation. \n\n on that commit atomic number 18 currently 131 corporations with seat on the BRT. This size is comparatively miserable and the high-profile personality of its shares makes the validation in truth influential in semipolitical circles. BRT is sometimes criticized as a privileged conference, in particular by union-oriented interest groups, a good deal(prenominal) as the AFL-CIO. An separate nearly-organism of BRTs sm only rank is their dexterity to overcome the bodied movement problem discloselined by Mancur Olson in, The Logic of embodied Action. This theory says that political groups with wide affable stations face a free-rider problem. all(prenominal) undividedist member rationally views their get confederation as in reduceificant and therefore, does not actively participate up to now though they lifelessness incur the benefits in the end1. The BRT overcomes this problem through their small social station and their ability to gibe face-to-face, once a course of instruction in Washington to check their schedule for the year and indicate issue-oriented taskforces. Personalized face-to-face beseemingings strengthen the relationships between members and reduce the disaster of free riding. \n\nThe BRT has a virtuoso stated objective to supercharge policies that will lead to sustainable, non- inflationary, long-run growth in the U.S. preservation. Although all(prenominal) member speaks as a individual, even in the lead lawmakers, the BRT believes that the underlying interests of business closely twin the interests of the the Statesn people who argon computely involved as consumers, employees, shareholders, and suppliers. In fact, the 131 members of BRT become a combined workforce of to a greater extent than than 10 million employees in the U.S.2 \n\nBRT membership is granted by invitation only. The company is the member and its fabricateative is the Chief Executive Officer. The participation of the CEO is the distinguishing feature of the BRT. The BRT is headed by a chairman, two co-chairmen, a nominating committee chairman, a chairperson and executive director. The current chairman is John T. Dillon of external Paper. The BRT is simply broken down into a Planning Committee and a Policy Committee, each of which bear on four times a year in Washington, D.C . A member cannot send a representative to serve in his place at clashings, frankincense making them to a greater extent(prenominal) or less mandatory. The BRT is financed through a schedule of overdues based on member companies sales and shareowners equity. \n\nThe BRT agenda for 2001 includes well-bred justice reform; somatic governance; digital economy; education; environment, technology, & the economy; pecuniary policy; health and privacy; human resources; and international mint this last topic is to be a focal point of this paper. As part of the world(prenominal) Trade Initiative, the BRT is pursuing the political purpose: passage of H.R. 3005 a re advancedal of the Trade onward motion Authority (TPA) of the prexy of the U.S. \n\n by trial and error, the cyberspace has a marginal squeeze on the BRTs capacity to be legal as an interest group. Though members may leasement e-mail to re principal(prenominal) in contact, it is by no means a urgency. Moreover, such(prenominal)(prenominal) communication would be do through private e-mail accounts since there is no forum or listing of individual e-mail addresses on their web-site: http://www.brtable.org/. BRT does use e-mail lists to send push through information to members and outside participants who attentiveness to receive BRT updates. In addition, BRT does have a a few(prenominal) basic cases run through earnings links on their site, moreover this is not essential for their congresswoman to be heard on Capitol Hill or at the White House. It is more of a luxury for their visitors than it is a necessity for their political operation. The primary use of the BRT web-site is for commonplaceity of the governance, informing the commonplace about their positions and initiatives, and providing links to BRT projects, associated web-sites, garner to politicians and the testimony of BRT members before Congress. \n\nEmpirically speaking, the net and associated technologies reduce the be of political participation and group communication; However, monetary be are not an issue for members of the BRT, most of whom have rise to power to cell ph unitarys, corporate jets, and their own personal finances. This pertains directly to the possible action of Collective Action and the evaluate observe par: E (ca) = P * B C. This equation means that the expected value of corporal action (E (ca)) for the individual is equal to the fortune that playacting will achieve the desire results (P), multiplied by the benefits of achieving ones goal (B), negative the costs of winning action (C). The BRT has what many refer to as a privileged position, due to the high profile nature of the groups membership and their seemingly endless financial and hood resources. They have political pull and therefore, the BRTs probability of effecting flip-flop is high, the benefits of achieving their goals are very high and their costs of taking political action are remarkably lo w. This maximizes all aspects of the equation above. Thus, collective action by BRT members is not only rational, solely also very practicable for all members. \n\nNormatively speaking, the BRT could make wear use of the net income peculiarly with their resources, but I would point they ought not. They are very effective at achieving a political portion in Washington, D.C. Attempts on their behalf to implement a more democratic element to their web-site beyond their grassroots campaigns would be a relatively fruitless sweat. It should be noted that a goal of theirs is to educate the superior normal normal about economics and their spot on policy issues. In this capacity, their web-site already serves this purpose and kinda effectively. \n\nTheir main site, listed above, presents to the commonplace and the media a classy, universal conscious and politically active organization. The site is esthetically well designed, with crisp graphics, impalpable coloration, flash te xt, and above all a very well organized presentation of content. The BRT agenda of political issues is front phase and center on the main page and the BRT presents itself in a non-partisan manner. The cyberspace has made the BRT more visible and accessible to the public for purposes of accessing information. \n\nOn the early(a) hand, the web-site does not provide for any online interaction among members, or between the organization and the public. Individuals can sign up for the BRT e-mail list, but there are no forums, chat rooms, or direct e-mail communication. This indicates a ranked structure to the organization Internet presence. Thus, one can popularize that the web-site is not designed for usable needs, but for publicity, information scattering and minimal grassroots campaigns. \n\nAlthough a powerful contender among business interest groups, the BRT does not receive an overwhelming amount of wariness from either politicians or potence rival interest groups. As an or ganization they are sometimes criticized as privileged, which is not inevitably untrue. A scan of the AFL-CIO web-site, a powerful labor interest group, did not even pass on any hash criticism. there was a grassroots campaign in opposition to the BRT back up H.R. 3005, but the BRT was not even mentioned in association with it. thus far Internet searches on Lexus-Nexus yielded few specific hits regarding BRT activity. \n\nPossibly method of accounting for this is the fact that the BRT does not meet as a full-length more than once a year. Although research and taskforce initiatives are carried out throughout the year, not much is done as a unit that would place the entire organization in the public limelight. Although politically powerful, their strength seems to be in individual initiatives, such as one-on-one meeting with politicians, a BRT representative testifying before Congress, a BRT leader musical composition a letter on behalf of the organization, and other such measu res. This is plausibly the primary reason wherefore the BRT behaves so differently than other larger interest groups and suggests wherefore there are not more interactive aspects to their Internet presence. \n\nEvidence suggests that Olsons collective action theory is very relevant to realiseing the political behavior of the BRT and their use of the Internet. As described above, group size, member selectivity and personal incentives associated with the political goals of the organization are significant factors making collective action believably by BRT members. They make no use of extra-rational incentives, in baseball club to induce participation. \n\nLets analyze an ongoing effort of the BRT in order to understand more completely the maneuver they use to achieve political goals. The last item on their 2001 agenda though by chance the most important is International Trade. The International Trade chore Force of the BRT seeks to: \n\nImplement trade education programs to increase general awareness and understanding of the grandness of trade to U.S. economic growth. \n support efforts for rising trade agreements and set ahead renewal of Fast gash negotiating authority. \nPromote trade and investment funds policies that help raise American and global living standards.3 \n\nThis is being achieved through a multilateral campaign aimed at death the deal on the TPA. The TPA gives the President of the U.S. the authority for negotiating directly with other nations using fast leading negotiating methods. The particular legislation that would consecrate this authority is H.R. 3005. Activities to support this explanation include: running TV, radiocommunication and print ads, hand delivered earn to the President, congressmen, the House Ways and heart and soul Committee, and other political leaders, the goTRADE grassroots initiative to support the TPA legislation, congressional testimony, press releases and longer, extensive publications. Although st ill ongoing, TPA legislation will belike pass, renewing the authority that each president has enjoyed since Gerald Ford. \n\nThe Internets impact on the BRT is incomplete helping nor hurting social welfare, since the Internets occasion in BRT operations is minimal. The group does not engage the public as a self-colored in the decisions of its membership; yet, their effort to educate public officials and the general public is significant and exemplary. In his book, Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam defines social keen as the development of social interaction and community build through civil action.4 As an interest group, the BRT does not further the type of social capital Putnam identifies. However, Washington lawmakers should continue to engage the BRT and listen to what the membership has to say. They represent a significant voice of the country the top leaders of the economy. If one wants to know what the essentials of pitch is, one should ask a MLB pitcher. Similarly, if the government wants to know what is good for major American businesses and the absolute majority of the economy, lawmakers should consult those business leaders. \n\nThe BRT membership includes many prime movers of fabrication those of greatest ability in their fields who create new markets and develop new riches through which, employees, the economy and America as a whole prospers. There is one institutional change that the BRT could make, which would improve its membership and perhaps develop more creative ways of utilizing the Internet as part of their efforts. That change would be to introduce new members from the computer and software industry, such as Ciscos John Chambers, Intels Craig Barrett, dingles Michael Dell, and Microsofts mailing Gates. If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website:

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