Interest groups and lobbying : pursuing political interests in America / Thomas T. Holyoke, California State University, Fresno.

"Interest groups and lobbyists play a crucial role in how public policy is made in the United States' representative democracy. By helping citizens organize and pursue their self-interests in the political arena, interest groups and lobbyists are an alternative but very effective form of representation. However, the adversarial nature of interest groups often fuels voter discomfort with the political process. Interest Groups and Lobbying is an accessible and comprehensive text that examines the crux of this conflict. Pulling together two areas of interest group research--why advocacy organizations form and how they are able to gain influence in Washington, DC--Thomas T. Holyoke shows students the inner workings of interest groups in the United States. Using case studies to clarify and expand on the issues surrounding lobbying and group action in federal, state, and local government, Holyoke explores how we can use interest groups and their adversarial impulse to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number of people"-- Provided by publisher.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 299-322) and index.

Introduction : first shoot all the lobbyists? -- pt. I. Origins and structure -- 1. Interests and interest groups -- Defining interests and interest groups -- A culture of self-interest -- Lobbying : the right of interests to petition -- Very brief history of interest groups in the United States -- 2. Collective action and interest group organization -- Collective action in an individualistic nation -- Other incentives and the free-rider problem's problems -- Who joins interest groups? -- Starting up interest groups -- Types of organized interests -- How many interest groups can there be? -- The diversity of interests -- 3. Social movements (Trying to be interest groups?) -- Cracking open, not tearing down, the system -- Recipe for a successful social movement -- Social movement or interest group? -- Outside to inside : Organized Labor in American politics -- Countermovement cycles in business advocacy -- Social movement protest in an online world -- 4. Lobbyists and organization management -- Information and representation -- Participation in interest groups -- Who are lobbyists? -- The politics of interest group maintenance -- 5. A model of interest group advocacy -- Lobbyists in the middle -- Interest group member pressure -- Policy maker pressure -- The alignment of interests -- The strategic lobbyist -- pt. II. Lobbying and influence -- 6. Lobbying Congress, the most permeable branch -- Multiplicity of pressure points -- Constituency connection -- Circles of friends -- Committees and parties -- Case study : the lobbying campaign for the Financial Services Modernization Act -- 7. Executive branch lobbying -- Lobbying the White House -- Lobbying the bureaucracy -- Case study : lobbying for the Roadless Rule -- 8. Interest groups going to court -- Shaping the judiciary -- Litigating for policy change : risks and rewards -- Who sues and why -- Friends of the Court : filing Amicus briefs -- Case study : Second Amendment lobbying -- 9. Friends and foes of convenience -- Competitive differences and strange bedfellows -- Coalition politics -- Other types of partners -- The timing of conflict and cooperation -- Competition and venue shopping -- Case study : coalition lobbying for parks -- 10. Interest groups, elections, and campaign finance -- Brief history of electoral contributing -- Types of PACs -- Why form a PAC? -- What does all this money buy? -- Other trends in strategic giving -- Endorsements and campaign support -- Case study : shifting politics at the US Chamber of Commerce -- Conclusion : representation in the interest group age -- Ethics in lobbying -- Lobbying reform -- Reform the law or self-police the profession -- Neopluralist politics -- Final thoughts.