Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation
5-2020
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Department
Political Science
Degree Program
Political Science, MA
Committee Chair
Gainous, Jason
Committee Member
Powers, Robert
Committee Member
Gray, Tricia
Author's Keywords
interest groups; group theory; pluralism; Kentucky politics; state politics; lobbying
Abstract
This thesis presents a practitioner’s view on interest groups and interest group theory based primarily on Mancur Olson’s conclusions that small, organized minority interests have an advantage over the large, disorganized majority interests in the policymaking process; it tests the “why” behind this theory through an examination of a variety of factors, including the influence of money, the power of communications tools deployed by these interests, and the lobbyists’ role. It includes an introduction plus four chapters, including literature review, research methods, participant observations and in-depth interviews, and conclusion. The research methods included primarily participant observation based on a two-decade career as a lobbyist and government official plus a series of interviews with other practitioners and public officials. The thesis finds that smaller, minority interests often do prevail based on their access to and use of resources unavailable or limited to the larger disorganized majority interests.
Recommended Citation
Wiederwohl, Mary Ellen, "Portrait of modern pluralism: A practitioner's perspective on interest group politics and theory." (2020). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 4260.
Retrieved from https://ir.library.louisville.edu/etd/4260
