Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Figures and Tables
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Patterns and Puzzles in Participation and Lobbying
- 3 The Political Logic of Political Decisions
- 4 Explaining Lobbying Decisions
- 5 Lobbying Decisions and the Health Care Reform Battle
- 6 Patterns of Recruitment and Participation in the Mass Public
- 7 Conclusion
- Appendix A Sources and Coding for Survey Data
- Appendix B Interest Group Sampling Frame
- Appendix C Chronology of Health Care Reform Legislation
- Bibliography
- Index
7 - Conclusion
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 September 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Figures and Tables
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Patterns and Puzzles in Participation and Lobbying
- 3 The Political Logic of Political Decisions
- 4 Explaining Lobbying Decisions
- 5 Lobbying Decisions and the Health Care Reform Battle
- 6 Patterns of Recruitment and Participation in the Mass Public
- 7 Conclusion
- Appendix A Sources and Coding for Survey Data
- Appendix B Interest Group Sampling Frame
- Appendix C Chronology of Health Care Reform Legislation
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Grass roots mobilization is used for one purpose,
period – to influence legislative policy. It's not
about getting more Americans involved. It's not
about educating people on the issues. It's not about
making Americans feel good about their political
system.
Trade association executive speaking at a workshop on grass roots mobilizationProportionately, more Americans than ever are exercising their right to lobby and communicate their feelings to their representatives in Congress. Such high levels of citizen participation may conjure up images of ordinary Americans spontaneously organizing to voice their concerns to policy makers. Furthermore, the fact that Americans are writing, calling, telegramming, faxing, and even e-mailing their representatives more than ever might seem like grounds for celebration to those concerned with low rates of electoral participation.
This book, however, has demonstrated that the ringing of phones, the flurry of letters, and the whirring of faxes is not necessarily evidence that Main Street is talking to Washington and that all is well with participatory democracy in the United States. Recent events, such as the National Federation of Independent Business's activity against the employer mandate in the Clinton health care plan, the American Energy Alliance's struggle against the BTU tax, the American Association of Retired Persons' fight against Medicare cuts, and the National Rifle Association's tactics in opposition to the crime bill demonstrate that little about mass participation in the United States is spontaneous.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Interest Groups, Lobbying, and Participation in America , pp. 125 - 132Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1999