Overview

Have special interests taken over the country, derailing the public agenda and threatening representative democracy? Or is it possible that the maturation of interest group politics will yield a more pluralistic and balanced society? Interest groups have changed over the past two decades, and so have the ways in which we study them. This volume charts the changes in interest group theory, organization, activity, and the influence of interest groups in the United States and beyond. Leading scholars and practitioners trace notable shifts in interest group politics, including challenges to effective governance, new resources and techniques of influence, patterns of representation, and changing venues, targets, and characteristics of interest group activity. The mobilization of particular interests, including business, women, conservatives, and consumers, is given special attention. Institutional interactions and interest group evaluations round out the coverage. Sixteen original essays written especially for this volume reflect the best and most current scholarship in the field. New empirical research, informed theoretical reflection, and experienced involvement are all rendered accessible in this thematically unified collection. Petracca has drawn together leading text authors, cutting-edge researchers, established scholars, and rising young stars to capture the attention and challenge the thinking of both novice and serious students of interest groups. This compact yet comprehensive volume can provide the core of reading for a course on interest group politics, or it can supplement one of the leading texts in a wide range of courses in American politics. The distinguished line-up of contributors promises to make this book must"" reading for scholars, professionals, and practitioners, as well as for their students.

Full Product Details

Author:   Mark P Petracca ,  Mark P Petracca
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Inc
Imprint:   Westview Press Inc
Dimensions:   Width: 15.40cm , Height: 2.70cm , Length: 22.80cm
Weight:   0.614kg
ISBN:  

9780813310015

ISBN 10:   0813310016
Pages:   448
Publication Date:   10 March 1992
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   No Longer Our Product
Availability:   Out of print, replaced by POD  
We will order this item for you from a manufatured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

Preface -- Introduction -- Approaches to Interest Groups -- The Rediscovery of Interest Group Politics -- A Deliberative Theory of Interest Representation -- Interest Groups and the Policymaking Process: Sources of Countervailing Power in America -- American Interest Groups in Comparative Perspective -- The Organization of Interests -- Interest Group Membership and Organization: Multiple Theories -- Triangles, Networks, and Hollow Cores: The Complex Geometry of Washington Interest Representation -- Changing Patterns of Interest Group Activity: A Regional Perspective -- The Political Mobilization of Business -- Political Institutions and Interest Groups -- Organized Interests and the Nation's Capitol -- Interest Mobilization and the Presidency -- Representing the Public Interest: Consumer Groups and the Presidency -- Conservative Interest Group Litigation in the Reagan Era and Beyond -- Interest Group Activity and Influence -- Social Movements as Interest Groups: The Case of the Women's Movement -- Money, Technology, and Political Interests: The Direct Marketing of Politics -- The Rise and Fall of Special Interest Politics -- Looking Ahead -- The Future of an Interest Group Society -- Appendix

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Author Information

Mark P. Petracca is associate professor of political science at the University of California at Irvine.

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