Australian Politics and Policy - Senior, 2019a

Australian Politics and Policy
must exist according to a significant number of people. Certain factors hasten
participants in the movement to mobilise, such as the availability of movement
media to communicate and build common concerns or grievances. 11
Population ecology and resource mobilisation theory
The theory of organisation population ecology illuminates the challenge to balance
outcomes for all interests. In the 1970s, scholars attempted to understand group
formation in the context of the politics of the day, as well as those who were trying
to promote ideas or change policy. 12 Groups form depending on the population
density of other groups at the time of their formation, which ‘both legitimises
and constrains’ group formation. 13 Agroupwiththesamemotivationmayarise
becausegreatnumbersofpeoplewishtojointheminaparticularlocation;another
group with the same motivation may founder because it does not offer a unique
perspective and there are already groups at that place. These groups frequently
compete for the same resources, membership and funding.
Because pressure groups are in competition with each other, the existing
density of groups in the population affects a new group’s prospect of formation. 14
Further, low density of groups increases the legitimacy of the organisations that
exist. Yet as more organisations form, competition for resources means some
groups cease to exist. 15
Resource mobilisation theory emphasises the crucial question of how social
movements mobilise resources. 16 Thisfocusesonthewaygroupandmovement
actors raise funds and other politically useful resources (such as memberships).
While many movements and pressure groups have traditional support bases of
resources and labour, they may also have constituents that can provide money,
facilities and labour, even if they are not committed to the values underpinning
specific movements. How these resources are aggregated is critical to understanding
the activities of organisations, as they inform strategy and tactics, and
affect the movement’s relationships with wider society. 17
Political opportunity
Political opportunity is a third theory advanced to explain group formation, noting
that group formation depends on the political environment. In this framework,
favourable political conditions prompt advocacy groups to form. This can include
11 Smelser 1963.
12 Nownes 2004.
13 Jenkins 2006, 313.
14 Nownes 2004.
15 Jenkins 2006, 313.
16 McCarthy and Zald 1977, 1212–3.
17 McCarthy and Zald 1977, 1216–7.
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