Welcome - Interest Groups: Function and Management PUAD 6505   Interest Groups: Function and Management
CREDIT HOURS: 3
This course will attempt a systematic examination of the function and management of interest groups in Canada and, to a lesser extent, other western countries. It will begin by considering the functions such groups perform for their supporters on the one hand and, on the other, the role they play in 1) maintaining political systems; 2) securing and modifying public policy, and 3) implementing programs. It will explore the ways in which their structures and behaviour patterns vary according to the resources of the groups themselves, the nature of their concerns and the demands of the political/bureaucratic systems in which they operate. An important feature of the course will be a discussion of the internal management of groups. This discussion will include a review of how membership is secured and retained and how group resources are obtained and applied; the role of professional staff in developing group positions and in interacting between the interest group and government officials. In conclusion, the course will examine the role of interest groups in policy processes and the relationship between that role and the prospects for democracy in western politics. Approved with Canadian Studies.
PREREQUISITES: MPA students must successfully complete all eight required courses of the first year of the MPA program prior to enrolling in 6xxx level courses and MGMT 5000, or seek special permission from the Graduate Coordinator. Students from outside of the MPA program must seek permission from the course instructor.
CROSS-LISTING: POLI 3228.03, POLI 5228.03