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Lobbying and political interest groups occupy an ambivalent place in advanced democracies. Lobbying is viewed with suspicion, but is also a critical avenue for voices in policy debates.
This insightful book injects a new sociological understanding of politics and policy. Interest groups help set political agendas, provide support to policymakers, and mobilize resources around issues. They are also the means by which individuals and organizations achieve advantage over others in social and economic life. John C. Scott incorporates theory and research about interest groups into political sociology's approach to issues of power, inequality, and public policy. As he convincingly reveals, a sociological understanding of lobbying and interest groups illustrates the edges and boundaries of representative democracy itself.
Using case studies and data, and organized by topics such as influence, collective action, representation, and inequality, the book is a critical resource for students of policymaking and political sociology.
List of contents
* Acknowledgements
* Introduction: A Social Orientation to Interest Groups and Political Life
* Chapter 1: Interests and Groups
* Chapter 2: Power, Access, and Influence
* Chapter 3: Interest Groups as Intermediaries between Nation-States and Citizens
* Chapter 4: Inequality and Interest Groups
* Chapter 5: Interest Group Politics in a Global Context
* Chapter 6: New Directions in the Study of Lobbyists and Interest Groups
* References
About the author
John C. Scott is Research Associate Professor of Public Policy at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Summary
Lobbying and political interest groups occupy an ambivalent place in advanced democracies. Lobbying is viewed with suspicion, but is also a critical avenue for voices in policy debates.
This insightful book injects a new sociological understanding of politics and policy. Interest groups help set political agendas, provide support to policymakers, and mobilize resources around issues. They are also the means by which individuals and organizations achieve advantage over others in social and economic life. John C. Scott incorporates theory and research about interest groups into political sociology's approach to issues of power, inequality, and public policy. As he convincingly reveals, a sociological understanding of lobbying and interest groups illustrates the edges and boundaries of representative democracy itself.
Using case studies and data, and organized by topics such as influence, collective action, representation, and inequality, the book is a critical resource for students of policymaking and political sociology.
Report
"This book offers an admirably accessible introduction to interest group research. It covers the whole breadth of research, from the question of interest group influence to the role that interest groups play at the global level. I recommend it highly as a valuable resource for all students and scholars interested in interest groups."
Andreas Dür, Department of Political Science and Sociology, University of Salzburg, Austria
"Weaving seamlessly between cases and theory, sociology and political science, US, UK, and European politics, John Scott has produced a must-read for any who want better to understand the roles of lobbying organizations, social movements, or policy advocates in any country. One can learn as much from the wealth of case material as from the masterclass in the development and history of various theories and perspectives offered here."
Frank Baumgartner, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
