Political Science

The “gold standard” on interest group politics has been updated for the first time in over a decade.  With the help of a new co-author and premier scholar — Clyde Wilcox of Georgetown University — this long awaited revision offers up-to-date coverage on the explosion of business lobbyists, the closer relationship between parties and interest groups, the appearance and impact of 527s, and more.

The Interest Group Society analyzes the increasing importance of interest groups and the consequences of their growing numbers in American politics today.  Within a framework of traditional democratic theory, the text examines the origins, maintenance, and marketing of interest groups, as well as their relationship to the party system.  Comprehensive coverage includes not only the traditional farm, labor, and trade associations, but also citizen groups, public interest organizations, corporations, and public interest firms.  Emphasis is placed on the lobbying of all three branches of government, as well as on grassroots support and the lobbying of public opinion.

•  Analyzes interest groups within an intuitive framework of democratic theory, enabling students to understand the workings of interest groups within the larger context of our political system and their own studies.

•  Brief in page count yet comprehensive in coverage, the book is flexible for different class settings.  It is small and inexpensive enough to be assigned with other books.  It  is also rich enough in topic coverage to be the centerpiece of a course.

•  The author, Jeff Berry, is one of the foremost scholars on interest groups, giving the book an extremely authoritative and credible voice.

• New co-author, Clyde Wilcox, provides an added stamp of authority and credibility.  Wilcox is a full professor in Georgetown University’s department of government. He has authored or edited over 20 books and writes on public opinion and electoral behavior, interest group politics, religion and politics, gender politics, the politics of social issues such as abortion, gay rights, and gun control, and campaign finance.
• The book is completely updated throughout to capture the continued advocacy explosion of the last decade.  Up-to-date coverage is provided on the 2004 presidential election, the Supreme Court nomination of Harriet Myers, the Abramoff scandal, and the forging of the labor-liberal alliance.
• Increased focus on the growing prominence and power of interest groups in American politics, including the explosion of business lobbyists, the tighter integration of policymaking and lobbying, and the increasingly close relationship of party leaders and interest groups (e.g. Tom DeLay placing his supporters in the lobbying staffs of many trade associations and corporations.)
• Examination of the growing involvement of interest groups in elections — fueled by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 and the rise of “527 Committees” — and the debate over the role of interest groups in a democracy.

Preface   

Chapter 1
Madison’s Dilemma    
Curing the Mischiefs of Faction     
Interest Groups and Their Functions     
The Rise and Fall of Pluralism     
Pluralism as a Goal     
Conclusion     

Chapter 2
The Advocacy Explosion    
The Interest Group Spiral     
The Rise of Citizen Groups     
Business Fights Back     
Conclusion     

Chapter 3
The Party Connection    
The Advantages of Interest Groups     
Working Together     
Parties and PACs     
Keeping Parties Straight and True     
Conclusion     

Chapter 4
Mobilization and Organization    
Competing Theories     
Supply of Benefits     
Marketing Interest Groups: Direct Mail     
Maintaining the Organization     
Who Governs?     
Making Decisions     
Conclusion     

Chapter 5
Lobbyists    
A Day in the Life of a Lobbyist     
Effective Lobbying     
Lobbying as a Career     
Lobbyists for Hire     
Conclusion     

Chapter 6
Public Opinion and     
Grassroots Lobbying    
Lobbying for Values     
Educating the Public     
Think Tanks     
Demonstrations and Histrionics     
Direct Citizen Lobbying     
High-Tech Lobbying     
Conclusion     

Chapter 7
Political Action Committees    
Movement for Reform     
PACs and Political Finance     
Does Money Matter?     
Targeting and Cooperation     
Conclusion     

Chapter 8
Washington Lobbying    
Congress     
Executive Branch     
The Courts    
Strategic Decision Making    
Conclusion     

Chapter 9
The Rise of Issue Networks    
Coalitions: EverdayPolitics     
From Subgovernments to Issue Networks     
The Qualities of Issue Networks     
The Telecommunications Network     
Conclusion     

Chapter 10
Bias and Representation    
Corporate Wealth and Political Advocacy    
A Special Relationship     
Beyond Business    
Reform     

Bibliography    

Index

Interest Groups  (Political Science)

• 
  Interest Group Society, The, 5/E
  Berry & Wilcox
  ©2009 | Longman | Paper; 240 pp | Instock
  ISBN-10: 0205604803 | ISBN-13: 9780205604807
  Brief Description | Buy from myPearsonStore

  

  Considered the gold standard on interest group politics, this widely-used text analyzes interest groups within the intuitive framework of democratic theory, enabling students to understand the workings of interest groups within the larger context of our political system.  Comprehensive coverage includes not only the traditional farm, labor, and trade associations, but also citizen groups, public interest organizations, corporations, and public interest firms. 

   

  Brief in page count yet comprehensive in coverage, the book is flexible for different class settings.  The book’s rich content and lean size allows it to stand alone as the centerpiece of a course, or be assigned as one of several texts. 

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