Lobbying and Policymaking
The Public Pursuit of Private Interests
- Kenneth Godwin - University of North Carolina, Charlotte, USA
- Scott H. Ainsworth - University of Georgia, USA
- Erik Godwin - Texas A & M University, USA
Through a series of highly readable case studies, the authors employ both neopluralist and exchange perspectives to explore the lobbying activity that occurs in the later stages of the policymaking process which are typically less partisan, involve little conflict, and receive scant public attention. Lobbying and Policymaking sheds new light on lobbying influence on the policy process, and is an ideal way to expose students to cutting-edge research in an accessible, fascinating package.
“Lobbying and Policymaking is an important addition to the interest group and policymaking literature particularly in the context of the role that lobbying has on rulemaking, which one might argue is the primary policymaking process currently in use in the United States. The authors do a wonderful job providing a strong theoretical background, discussing the important research to date, and putting that research into an important context for their own research. The balance between the use of case studies and quantitative data makes this a highly readable and accessible book. Students and scholars will garner a new appreciation of the role of lobbying particularly as it relates to the bureaucracy.”
“With a host of empirical examples and a solid set of theoretical underpinnings, Godwin, Ainsworth, and Godwin have written a lively, rigorous text that integrates our understanding of lobbying and the policymaking process. The authors cast their net widely, using lobbying as a means to understand how policies are made in legislative, regulatory, and bureaucratic settings. Lobbying and Policymaking will guide students through the intricacies of policy making, neither oversimplifying the process nor making it seem so complex to defy comprehension. Tying together their own research with a strong overview of both lobbying and policy making, Godwin, Ainsworth, and Godwin have provided a road map for understanding of who gets what, when, where, and why.”
“Godwin, Ainsworth, and Godwin have produced a book that is thorough and rigorous, rich in theory and data. Students will learn much from it. So will their professors. By integrating models of interest group influence with models of policymaking, the authors illustrate why and how lobbying strategies vary over time and across settings. The discussion and analysis of neopluralism and exchange theory will provide students with valuable tools to make sense of interest group politics and the policy process. The focus on regulatory policy is an especially useful feature of this book. Regulatory politics tends not to receive much attention in standard texts on interest groups. Lobbying and Policymaking fills an important gap by illustrating how a lot of lobbying activity takes place out of public view – which is just how many interests want it!”
“The approach of the book to interest groups and public policy is one of its great strengths. The authors are on top of the literature, and have done a great deal of research of their own. I applaud their effort to keep theories, models and frameworks prominent in the chapters. As the authors stress, covering agency rulemaking is very important, but often neglected, in studies of interest group influence. Coverage is another great strength of the book.”
"Books about lobbying usually either over-emphasize theory or they over-generalize from exciting stores. Lobbying and Policymaking brings a beautiful blend of both. Theories about lobbying and interest groups are brought to life through compelling cases. In my experience, people learn best when they integrate their heads (the theory side) with their guts (working through real problems). Lobbying and Policymaking strikes the perfect balance"
Ideal text for public affiars students new to politics
“Lobbying and Policymaking” by Godwin et al. is an excellent text for scholars studying interest groups, lobbying, and policy making. Authors are successful in comprehensively linking the policy process with lobbying activities. The claim about patterns of lobbying strategies being dependant on policy phase, and, especially, a finding about changing focus in the public debate from the need to secure collective goods to defending of private interests, is definitely worth of attention and further exploration.
