Interest Groups and Congress Lobbying, Contributions, and Influence

9780024303011

0024303011

1. Introduction. The Puzzle of Interest Group Influence. 2. The History, Organization, and Regulation of Interest Groups. The Evolution of Interest Groups. Constitutional Underpinnings The Formation and Maintenance of Interest Groups. The Organization of Interests. Political Organizations and the Legal Environment. Controlling Factions: Regulation and the Endurance of Political Interests. 3. Interest Groups, Congress, and Public Policy. Interest Group Participation Before Congress. Formulation of Bills Committee Hearings and Markups Floor and Conference Action The Defensive Advantage. Interest Group Participation Beyond Congress: Agencies and the Courts. Participation Before the Courts Participation Before Administrative Agencies. The Family and Medical Leave Act: A Case Study of Interest Groups and Policymaking. Interest Group Lobbying and Legislators' Policy Calculations. Advertising Campaigns Washington Contacting Grassroots Mobilization The Legislators' Policy Position. 4. Legislative Lobbying. The Objectives of Organized Interests: Access and Influence. Access Influence. The Uncertainty of Legislative Decisionmaking. Uncertainty about Reelection Uncertainty about the Legislative Process and Policy Performance. The Information Specialties of Organized Interests. Constituency Preferences and Reelection Legislative Process and Policy Performance. The Strategic Use of Information. Lobbying on Robert Bork's Nomination to the Supreme Court Lobbying on Gays in the Military Misrepresentation as a Lobbying Strategy Checking Misrepresentation Lobbying and Influence in American Politics. 5. Political Action Committees. The History and Characteristics of PACs. A Bit of History The Types, Number, and Sizes of PACs The Allocation of PAC Money. PAC Contributions and the Exchange of Votes and Favors. The Statistical Relationship between Contributions and Votes Theoretical Models of Money and Influence. PACs and Information. Information and the Operation of PACs PACs, Information, and Access. PACs and Representation. 6. Consequences of Interest Group Politics. Policy Gridlock. The Changing Nature of Interest Group Politics Gridlock and Information. Governmental Growth and Inefficiency. Growth and Information. Political Inequality. Inequality and Information. Interest Groups, Representation, and Legislating. 7. Conclusion.