Interest Articulation Structures: Interest ‘Groups’

Abstract

A variety of structures, from an undisciplined mob to a businessmen’s conference, may be involved in interest articulation. Such structures may be classified according to two major components: the type of group initiating the articulation, and the type of access channel through which it passes the message. It would be convenient, of course, if we could construct a typology which includes both of these features. We could speak of the associational groups as always articulating interests through regular and legal channels, and of the regional and kinship groups as always working through informal and intermittent channels. But in fact, associational groups, such as trade unions, may organize riots and strikes. All groups may and do utilize the channels of intermittent and informal personal contact. By the same token, speakers for unorganized, but important, language and ethnic groups may address party conventions.