INTEREST GROUPS!

The idea that organizations or associations exist to further the interests of their members is hardly novel, nor peculiar to economics; it goes back at least to Aristotle, who wrote, "Men journey together with a view to particular advantage, and by way of providing some particular thing needed for the purposes of life, and similarly the political association seems to have come together originally, and to continue in existence, for the sake of the general advantages it brings." S More recently Professor Leon Festinger, a social psycholo- gist, pointed out that "the attraction of group membership is not so much in sheer belonging, but rather in attaining something by means of this membership." f The late Harold Laski, a political scientist, took it for granted that "associations exist to fulfill purposes which a group of men have in common."  



Olsen says something interesting in this paragraph. Many people join organizations or associations because they really need from them while others join for the "perks." We as humans never do anything with the giddiness of our hearts. We always look for a gain when we are suppose to be helping each other out. I chose this passage because it made me think about why i never joined any organizations and why other people did. i came to the conclusion that everyone that joined always spoke about what they would get out of it when they finished the requirements of the program. According to Leon Festinger "the attraction of group membership is not so much in sheer belonging, but rather in attaining something by means of this membership" and i completely agree with him.