Interest Groups in American Politics: Pressure and Power / Edition 2

by Anthony J. Nownes

Overview

Americans rail against so-called special interests but at the same time many members of society are themselves represented in one form or another by organized groups trying to affect the policymaking progress. This concise but thorough text demonstrates that interest groups are involved in the political system at all levels of government – federal, state, and local – and in all aspects of political activity, from election campaigns to agenda setting to lawmaking to policy implementation. Rather than an anomaly or distortion of the political system, it is a normal and healthy function of a pluralist society and democratic governance. Nonetheless, Nownes warns of the dangers of unwatched interest group activity, especially in the realms of the electoral process and issue advocacy.

Interest Groups in American Politics, Second Edition, is grounded by the role of information in interest group activity, a theme that runs through the entire book. This much anticipated revision of Nownes’s text retains a student friendly tone and thoroughly updates the references to interest group research, as well as adds a new chapter on the connections between interest groups and political parties. Numerous figures and tables throughout the book help students visualize important trends and information.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415894265
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/24/2012
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	328
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Anthony J. Nownes is a professor of political science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is the author of numerous works on interest group politics at the federal, state, and local level and an award-winning teacher.

Table of Contents

1. Interest Groups in the United States 2. The Evolution of Interest Groups in the United States 3. The Formation and Maintenance of Interest Groups 4. The Non-Lobbying Activities of Interest Groups 5. Direct Lobbying 6. Electoral Lobbying 7. Indirect Lobbying 8. Interest Groups and Political Parties 9. The Influence of Interest Groups 10. The Role of Interest Groups in American Politics

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Interest Groups in American Politics: Pressure and Power, Third Edition

Personally engaging and relevant to modern times, this book explains the who, what, when, and where of lobbying in America. Even better: it explains why some interests are represented while others are not, why some lobbyists are more influential than others, and why interest groups sometimes use tactics (e.g., sponsoring advertisements, organizing protests) other than lobbying to affect government policy. Nownes draws from interviews with advocates to enliven core concepts in the study of interest groups. This book is rich both empirically and theoretically and is sure to become a common text assigned in undergraduate courses.

—James Strickland, Arizona State University

From the Publisher