Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 224
Trim: 6 x 9½
978-0-7425-4720-9 • Hardback • December 2006 • $126.00 • (£97.00)
978-0-7425-4721-6 • Paperback • December 2006 • $44.00 • (£34.00)
Richard M. Skinner is visiting assistant professor of political science at Williams College. He previously served as a research analyst at the Campaign Finance Institute. He has also taught at Hamilton College, SUNY-Geneseo, the University of Virginia, and Bowdoin college. His work has been published in the Journal of Politics and the Forum.
Part 1 Part I: The Perspective
Chapter 1 Groups and Parties in the Political World
Part 2 Part II: The Groups
Chapter 2 Studying Groups through Case Studies
Part 3 Material Giants: The AFL-CIO and AARP
Chapter 3 Purposive Power: The NRA, Sierra Club, EMILY's List, NARAL, and the National Right to Life Committee
Chapter 4 Part III: The Resources
Part 4 Professional Politics: The NFIB, ATLA, and AMA
Chapter 5 Money
Chapter 6 Membership
Chapter 7 Expertise
Chapter 8 Part IV: The Context
Chapter 9 Group's Relationships with Political Parties
Chapter 10 Changes in Context
Chapter 11 Theoretical Conclusion
Rich in empirical detail, framed by interesting theoretical questions, and crisply written, More Than Money is political science at its best. From the AFL-CIO to the AARP, from the NRA to NARAL, the book paints a vivid portrait of the role of interest groups in congressional elections. Skinner's thoughtful analysis will be a valuable resource for both scholars and practitioners and a perfect fit for a range of upper level undergraduate courses in American politics.
— Theodore Eismeier, Hamilton College
Recommended.
— Choice
Richard Skinner's new book combines the theoretical insights of a political scientist with the practical insights of interest group activists to provide a compelling portrait of the myriad ways that groups are active in elections. The book will be of interest to political scientists and sociologists who study interest groups and social movements, and would make a fine textbook for many undergraduate courses as well.
— Clyde Wilcox, Georgetown University
*Looks beyond lobbying to explore a crucial but understudied facet of interest group activity in U.S. elections.
*Based on extensive interviews with Washington insiders—including interest group activists from NARAL, the NRA, the Sierra Club, and other groups.
*Helps readers better understand the ties between interest groups and political parties, refuting the notion that they generally work in opposition to each other.
*Examines the effects of changes in campaign finance rules, including the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act.