Communication and Interest Groups (20519)

Year: Third & Fourth 

Term: 1
Number of ECTS credits: 4 credits
Total hours of work for student: 100 hours
Teaching language: English
Teaching staff: Núria Almiron

 

1. Introduction to the subject

This course is part of what is known as the public affairs and, therefore, institutional relations.

Interest groups, also called pressure groups, are associations of individuals or organizations that, on the basis of one or more shared concerns, attempt to influence public policy in its favour. Interest groups work to achieve their goal of influencing public policy through the activity of lobbying. Not all lobbying activity is directed to influence immediate policy decisions, some is indented to gain access to policy makers or create and atmosphere that will be conducive to the group in shaping future government policy. Yet all lobbying activity is strongly dependent on communication techniques. Amongst these techniques, knowledge creation conducted by public policy research organizations, also known as think tanks, plays a vital role.

The first half of the course introduces students to lobbies and think tanks as actors largely involved in the use of communication strategies and tools -both for profit and for non-profit aims. The second half of the course is devoted to train students on how to do ethical and effective lobbying, both direct and indirect (grassroots). Students will conduct empirical and applied research and develop practical skills on lobbying for a topic of their choice.

 

2. Competences to be attained

General skills

·         Analysis skills.

·         Critical work assessment and self-assessment.

·         Autonomous work.

·         Teamwork skills.

 

Specific skills

·         Knowledge of the lobby running: political economy, legal regulation, and ethical rules.

·         Targeting and analyzing the techniques and resources used to influence public opinion.

·         Locating prevailing public discourses and understanding their construction and assimilation processes.

·         Identifying the functions of public discourse authors.

·         Knowledge and capacity for designing strategies to influence public opinion.

·         Knowledge of the different types of influence groups and their performance.

3. Course contents

1.      How to influence public opinion. Public affairs and democracy.

2.      The public affairs industry. Interest groups and public relations.

3.      The marketing of ideas. Power, discourse, argumentation and ethics.

4.      Framing and storytelling in public affairs. The creation of frames or schemas of interpretation. Using true individual stories to promote empathy.

5.      Lobbies. Influencing the policy makers. Elements, typology, communicative dimension and strategic relations with public authorities. Case studies.

6.      Think tanks. Idea creation. Concept, functions and typology. Case studies.

7.      Advocacy tanks. Conceptualization and communication strategies. Case studies.

8.      Idea-catalysts and democracy: foundation of the political parties. Case studies.

  

4. Assessment

·         Individual work and students participation and attendance (40%)

·         Group Project (60%)

·         Students participation in recommended events (not graded but compulsory to be graded for the course)

A second-chance assessment will take place within the time period specified by the Faculty of Communication. To qualify for a second chance assessment students must have uploaded all compulsory assignments within the allotted time. The second examination will consist in a resubmission of the group project or of the individual assignments that are missing or experiencing problems.

 

5. Bibliography and teaching resources

5.1. Basic bibliography

Francés, Juan (2013). ¡Que vienen los lobbies! Barcelona: Destino.

McGann, James G. & Sabatini, Richard (2011). Global Think Tanks: Policy Networks and Governance (Global Institutions). London: Routledge.

Xifra, Jordi & Ponsa, Francesc (2009). El marketing de las ideas. Los think tanks en España y en el mundo. Barcelona: Niberta.

Zetter, Lionel (2011). Lobbying, The Art of Political Persuasion. Petersfield, Hampshire: Harriman House.

 

5.2. Complementary bibliography

Lobbying (in English)

Avner, Marcia (2013). The Lobbying and Advocacy Handbook for Nonprofit Organizations. Shaping Public Policy at the State and Local Level. Nashville: Fieldstone Alliance.

Baumgartner, Frank R.; Berry, Jeffrey M.; Hojnacki, Marie; Leech, Beth L.; & Kimball, David C. (2009). Lobbying and Policy Change, Who Wins, Who Loses, and Why. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Chari, Raj; Hogan, John; & Murphy, Gary (2012). Regulating Lobbying. A Global Comparison (European Policy Research Unit). Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Cock, Caroline de (2011). iLobby.eu: Survival Guide to EU Lobbying, Including the Use of Social. Delft: Eburon Publishers.

Coen, David & Richardson, Jeremy (2009). Lobbying the European Union, Institutions, Actors, and Issues. Oxford, New York: Oxfor University Press.

Godwin, Robert K.; Ainsworth, Scott H.; and Godwing, Erick K. (2012). Lobbying and Policymaking. The Public Pursuit of Private Interests. Thousand Oaks, CA: CQ Press.

Leech, Beth L. (2013). Lobbyists at Work. New York: Apress.

Libby, Patricia J. (2011). The Lobbying Strategy Handbook. 10 Steps to Advancing Any Cause Effectively. London: Sage.

Mearsheimer, John J. & Walt, Stephen M. (2008). The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy. New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Thomson, Stuart & John, Steve (2007). Public Affairs in Practice. A practical guide to lobbying. London: Kogan Page.

Lobbying (in Catalan of Spanish)

Hdez. Vigueras, Juan (2013). Los lobbies financieros. Tentáculos del poder. Madrid: Clave intellectual.

Xifra, Jordi (2009). Els lobbies. Barcelona: UOC.

Think Tanks (in English)

Abelson, Donald E. (2009). Do Think Tanks Matter?: Assessing the Impact of Public Policy Institutes. Montreal ; Ithaca : McGill-Queen's University Press.

Arin, Kubilay Yado (2014). Think Tanks. The Brain Trusts of US Foreign Policy. Wiesbaden: Springer

McGann, James G. (2007). Think Tanks and Policy Advice in the US: Academics, Advisors and Advocates. London: Routledge.

McGann, James G. (2010). Democratization and Market Reform in Developing and Transitional Countries: Think Tanks as Catalysts. London: Routledge.

McGann, James G.; Viden, Anna, & Rafferty, Jillian (2014). How Think Tanks Shape Social Development Policies. Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Medvetz, Thomas (2012). Think Tanks in America. Chicago : The University of Chicago Press

Pautz, Hartwig (2012). Think-tanks, Social Democracy and Social Policy. New York : Palgrave Macmillan

Petric, Boris (ed.) (2012). Democracy at Large, NGOs, Political Foundations, Think Tanks and International Organizations. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Selee, Andrew (2013). What Should Think Tanks Do?: A Strategic Guide to Policy Impact. Stanford, California : Stanford Briefs

Think Tanks (in Catalan or Spanish)

Ponsa, Francesc & Xifra, Jordi (2012). Guia de think tanks a Catalunya. Barcelona: Sehen.

Xifra, Jordi (2008). Els think tanks. Barcelona. UOC.

  

6. Methodology

Theory explanations will be complemented with practical individual exercises to do in the computer room until the sixth week. From then on, students will work on group projects and final group presentations.

·         Lectures

·         Individual exercises

·         Group project

·         Group discussion

·         Personal enquiry, individual research and readings

·         Student peer-review

 

7. Planning of activities

Week	Activity	Type
1	Welcome & Introduction	Lecture
2	Lobbying	Lecture & individual work
3	Guest Lecturer from Brussels	Lecture & individual work
4	Lobbying	Lecture & individual work
5	Think Tanks	Lecture & individual work
6	Rhetoric	Lecture & individual work
7	Lobbying campaign	Group work
8	Guest Lecturer from US	Lecture & Group work
9	Lobbying campaign	Group work
10	Lobbying campaign	Group work
11	Lobbying campaign	Presentations