Basic Interests: The Importance of Groups in Politics and in Political Science
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Book Overview
A generation ago, scholars saw interest groups as the single most important element in the American political system. Today, political scientists are more likely to see groups as a marginal influence compared to institutions such as Congress, the presidency, and the judiciary. Frank Baumgartner and Beth Leech show that scholars have veered from one extreme to another not because of changes in the political system, but because of changes in political science. They review hundreds of books and articles about interest groups from the 1940s to today; examine the methodological and conceptual problems that have beset the field; and suggest research strategies to return interest-group studies to a position of greater relevance.
The authors begin by explaining how the group approach to politics became dominant forty years ago in reaction to the constitutional-legal approach that preceded it. They show how it fell into decline in the 1970s as scholars ignored the impact of groups on government to focus on more quantifiable but narrower subjects, such as collective-action dilemmas and the dynamics of recruitment. As a result, despite intense research activity, we still know very little about how groups influence day-to-day governing. Baumgartner and Leech argue that scholars need to develop a more coherent set of research questions, focus on large-scale studies, and pay more attention to the context of group behavior. Their book will give new impetus and direction to a field that has been in the academic wilderness too long.Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0691059152
ISBN13:9780691059150
Release Date:March 1998
Publisher:Princeton University Press
Length:248 Pages
Weight:0.82 lbs.
Dimensions:0.6" x 6.0" x 9.2"
Customer Reviews
1 rating
A historical overview with future research possibilties
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
Any reader looking to learn more about the history behind interest group formation will appreciate this detailed, highly engaging book. The authors do an excellent job of laying out their ideas and backing up their opinions. What most impressed me about the book was the final chapter, where the authors went on to recommend ways political science researchers could achieve more coherence in the varied approaches to studying interest groups. This was a adept way to pull together the rest of the book and I only wish I was looking for a way to conduct research in this evolving field!
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