A Study Of The Interest Group Politics In The U.S. Federal Higher Education Policy-Making

Interest groups are voluntary and stable social groups based on common interests. Forming associations is a respected and protected civil right in a democratic society. In order to protect their rights more effectively, social members with the same or similar interest and demands assemble and form various interest groups to participate in social life and political life. Interest groups are manifestation and characterization of a democratic society and important factors maintaining and promoting democracy. The United States is a country of typical interest group politics, with the large number, the various species, the widespread distribution and the far-reaching effects of interest groups that no other countries can match. Interest groups have infiltrated every aspect of American social life, and become the main body in the political process. In the system of interest group politics, the essence of public policy is to restructure the relations and structures of different interests in society. To a large extent, the formulation and implementation of public policies are seen as the interacting and gaming process between different interest groups and government agencies. Interest group political system provides diverse and effective mechanisms for interest expression and integration for the stakeholders. There are a great number and a diverse variety of interest groups in the field of U.S. higher education. These groups are positive forces in higher education governance and play real impacts in Federal higher education policy-making process.Currently, the study about U.S. higher education by China's educational researchers is somewhat comprehensive, but the study of U.S. Federal higher education policy-making process within the system of interest group politics is weak. In the stage of building a harmonious society, in view of promoting the governance of higher education, exploring and improving proper mechanisms for interest expression and integration in higher education is of great practical significance. Thus, it is important both practically and academically to explore the various interest groups and their interaction mechanisms in higher education policy-making process of the country with the most active interest groups and the most mature system of interest group politics. In order to show the interacting and gaming mechanisms among various interest groups and between interest groups and the the government agencies in higher education policy-making process, system theory, game theory and interest group theory are adopted and combined.This thesis includes the following components:The Introduction of the thesis includes problem presentation, literature review, study design, the values and innovations of the study and definition of some concepts.Chapterâ… presents the overall characteristics and embodiment, the environment of formation and development of American interest group politics, and the nature and making process of public policy. Interest groups have penetrated into all aspects of American social life, and played unique role in the political system. The particular social, political and cultural environment of the United States provide ideal"soil", which can't be found in other countries, for the formation and development of interest group politics. The interest group politics in U.S. is the special product of the environment and dependent on that environment. In the system of interest group politics, public policy is actually the restructuring of the relations and structures of social interest, and the participation, interaction and gaming of interest groups exist in every aspects of the policy-making process.Chapter II shifts the concern scope from the macro-picture of political interest groups of the United States to the field of higher education. It is the various interest groups in the field of U.S. higher education that achieves concentration and regulation of interest in that field, which provides prerequisite for the interest groups to participate in the policy-making process. This chapter analyzes the interest-concentration process, organizational structure and the operating mechanism of interest groups in the field of higher education at first. Secondly, the mechanisms for regulating the interest of its members are explored. At last, the interest-regulation mechanisms between different interest groups are analyzed.In Chapterâ…¢, the evolution of participation in the U.S. Federal higher education policy-making process of interest groups in the field of higher education was analyzed historically. The changing process is divided into four stages. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, the interest groups in U.S. higher education began to be formed and to participate in Federal policy-making process. In the 1960s, the interest groups shifted from split to the join, and looked for the participation in the process of Federal policy-making. In the early 1970s, the interest groups were frustrated when involved in Federal Policy-making process and began to reform. Since the late of 1970s, the interest groups gradually became mature to participate in Federal higher education policies making process.In Chapter IV, the process and mechanisms by which the interest groups in higher education participate in the U.S. Federal higher education policy-making are explored. Firstly, the thesis analyzes the participants of the Federal higher education policy-making process and their rights and position. Secondly, advantages and inevitability of the participation of interest groups are analyzed. And then, the rules which regulate activities of the interest groups when participating in the gaming process are analyzed. Finally, the means and strategies adopted by the interest groups for expressing interest needs and participating in the policy-making process are analyzed.In the conclusion of the thesis, the advantages and limits of the participation in the Federal educational policy-making process of the interest groups in the field of higher education are analyzed critically. The participation of interest groups is a distinctive feature of American higher education and of great help to optimize the Federal police-making process, to maintain the autonomy of higher education and to express the interest demands of the stakeholders.