Interest Groups and Congress Lobbying, Contributions and Influence (Longman Classics Series)

by Wright, John R.

• ISBN13: 9780321121875
• ISBN10: 0321121872
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-07-19
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

Re-issued as part of the "Longman Classics in Political Science" series, Wright's authoritative text on interest groups in the U.S. features a new Foreword, by Bruce Oppenheimer of Vanderbilt University that explores the text's enduring contributions to the discipline. Wright's renowned text surveys the history, organization, aims and processes of interest groups to explain how they influence and affect public policy and opinion in the US Congress.

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(8)
The Puzzle of Interest Group Influence	5	(4)
The History, Organization, and Regulation of Interest Groups	9	(28)
The Evolution of Interest Groups	11	(11)
Constitutional Underpinnings	12	(3)
The Formation and Maintenance of Interest Groups	15	(7)
The Organization of Interests	22	(8)
Trade and Professional Associations	23	(1)
Corporations	24	(1)
Labor Unions	25	(1)
Citizen Groups	26	(1)
Intergovernmental Groups	27	(1)
Charitable and Religious Groups	28	(2)
Political Organizations and the Legal Environment	30	(7)
Controlling Factions: Regulation and the Endurance of Political Interests	32	(5)
Interest Groups, Congress, and Public Policy	37	(38)
Interest Group Participation Before Congress	38	(11)
Formulation of Bills	39	(1)
Committee Hearings and Markups	40	(3)
Floor and Conference Action	43	(3)
The Defensive Advantage	46	(3)
Interest Group Participation beyond Congress: Agencies and the Courts	49	(4)
Participation before the Courts	50	(2)
Participation before Administrative Agencies	52	(1)
The Family and Medical Leave Act: A Case Study of Interest Groups and Policy Making	53	(12)
Interest Group Activities and Legislators' Policy Calculations	65	(10)
Advertising Campaigns	69	(1)
Washington Contacting	69	(2)
Grassroots Mobilization	71	(1)
The Legislator's Policy Position	72	(3)
Legislative Lobbying	75	(40)
The Objectives of Organized Interests: Access and Influence	76	(6)
Access	76	(4)
Influence	80	(2)
The Uncertainty of Legislative Decision Making	82	(6)
Uncertainty about Reelection	83	(2)
Uncertainty about the Legislative Process and Policy Performance	85	(3)
The Information Specialties of Organized Interests	88	(7)
Constituency Preferences and Reelection	89	(3)
Legislative Process and Policy Performance	92	(3)
The Strategic Use of Information	95	(20)
Lobbying on Robert Bork's Nomination to the Supreme Court	97	(7)
Lobbying on Gays in the Military	104	(2)
Misrepresentation as a Lobbying Strategy	106	(3)
Checking Misrepresentation	109	(4)
Lobbying and Influence in American Politics	113	(2)
Political Action Committees	115	(50)
The History and Characteristics of PACs	116	(20)
A Bit of History	116	(6)
The Types, Number, and Sizes of PACs	122	(6)
The Allocation of PAC Money	128	(8)
PAC Contributions and the Exchange of Votes and Favors	136	(13)
The Statistical Relationship between Contributions and Votes	137	(8)
Theoretical Models of Money and Influence	145	(4)
PACs and Information	149	(8)
Information and the Operation of PACs	150	(5)
PACs, Information, and Access	155	(2)
PACs and Representation	157	(8)
Consequences of Interest Group Politics	165	(24)
Policy Gridlock	166	(9)
The Changing Nature of Interest Group Politics	167	(6)
Gridlock and Information	173	(2)
Governmental Growth and Inefficiency	175	(6)
Information and Governmental Growth	179	(2)
Political Inequality: The Representation of Unorganized Interests	181	(5)
Information and Inequality	185	(1)
Interest Groups, Representation, and Legislating	186	(3)
Conclusion	189	(14)
Campaign Finance Reform	191	(3)
Lobbying Reform	194	(5)
Summary	199	(4)
Index	203