Abstract
What explains contemporary numbers of interest groups in America? To answer this question and help address conflicting narratives in research, I examine the rise of interest groups in the states. Assembling an original dataset based on archival and secondary sources, I find that relatively few groups lobbied legislators prior to the 1960s or 1970s. During those decades, numbers of interest groups began to grow rapidly. I find that increases in lawmaking activities present inconsistent effects on the political mobilization of groups but increases in spending are strongly correlated with mobilization. In additional tests, I find that the effects of spending on group numbers vary by state and are not discernible in most states. In general, a historic transformation of state governments helps to account for the growth of state lobbying. Interest groups have remained active in state capitols ever since.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 1181-1196 |
Number of pages | 16 |
Journal | Political Research Quarterly |
Volume | 74 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2021 |
Keywords
- government growth
- interest groups
- lobbying
- public choice
- state politics
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Sociology and Political Science
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'A Quiet Revolution in State Lobbying: Government Growth and Interest Populations'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Datasets
-
sj-pdf-1-prq-10.1177_1065912920975490 – Supplemental material for A Quiet Revolution in State Lobbying: Government Growth and Interest Populations
Strickland, J. (Contributor), figshare SAGE Publications, Jan 1 2020
DOI: 10.25384/sage.13309340.v1, https://sage.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/sj-pdf-1-prq-10_1177_1065912920975490_Supplemental_material_for_A_Quiet_Revolution_in_State_Lobbying_Government_Growth_and_Interest_Populations/13309340/1
Dataset
-
A Quiet Revolution in State Lobbying: Government Growth and Interest Populations
Strickland, J. (Creator), figshare SAGE Publications, 2020
DOI: 10.25384/sage.c.5223911.v1, https://sage.figshare.com/collections/A_Quiet_Revolution_in_State_Lobbying_Government_Growth_and_Interest_Populations/5223911/1
Dataset