Matt Grossmann

New Directions in Interest Group Politics

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:46:26 -0400

My edited volume is now forthcoming from Routledge. Thanks to all who participated. Here is the table of contents and cover:

Preface. 1: Group Mobilization from the Economy, Society, and Government; Matt Grossmann 2. How Membership Associations Change the Balance of Representation in Washington (And How They Don’t); Kay Lehman Schlozman and Philip Edward Jones 3. Grassroots Mobilization and Outside Lobbying; Edward Walker 4. The Paradoxes of Inequality and Interest Group Representation; Dara Z. Strolovitch 5. Political Parties and Ideology: Interest Groups in Context;Hans Noel 6. Why Lobbyists for Competing Interests Often Cooperate; Thomas T. Holyoke 7. How Will the Internet Change American Interest Groups?; David Karpf 8. Attack of the Super PACs? Interest Groups in the 2012 Elections; Michael Franz 9. When Does Money Buy Votes? Campaign Contributions and Policymaking; Christopher Witko 10. Understanding the Influence of Lobbying in the U.S. Congress: Preferences, Networks, Money, and Bills; Holly Brasher and Jason Britt 11. Interest Groups, the White House, and the Administration; Heath Brown 12. Interest Groups in the Judicial Arena; Paul M. Collins, Jr. 13. Evaluating Reforms of Lobbying and Money in Politics; Lee Drutman 14. Conclusion; Matt Grossmann

Book Reviews

Thu, 02 May 2013 13:59:00 -0400

Additional reviews of my book, The Not-So-Special Interests, were recently published:

Political Science Quarterly review by William Crotty

American Review of Politics review by Nicholas Carnes

Journal of American Studies review by Edward Ashbee

American Journal of Sociology review by David S. Meyer

Talk at Yale

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 22:36:06 -0500

I am speaking at the American Politics & Public Policy Workshop at the Yale University Institution for Social and Policy Studies on Wednesday, February 6th at noon. The talk is titled “Artists of the Possible: Governing Networks and American Policy Change Since 1945” and will cover two chapters of my forthcoming book.

Book Reviews

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 22:06:00 -0500

There are new reviews of my book, The Not-So-Special Interests: Interest Groups, Public Representation, and American Governance, in Choice, Contemporary Sociology, and Interest Groups & Advocacy. The book was previously reviewed in Publishers Weekly. There should also be forthcoming reviews in the American Journal of Sociology, the American Review of Politics, and Perspectives on Politics. Choice said: “He develops a tight analytical framework and gathers an impressive array of original data… Grossmann’s contributions… should become staples for those seeking to understand organized interest behavior and influence.” Another review said it “blazes an impressive trail… It mingles real-world insights with heaps of illuminating quantitative data… It should be the first word in many conversations about interest groups.” Another said that the book “would be useful for anyone interested in democracy in America.” Another commented: “This is an extremely useful book, one that will spur debate, discussion, and certainly subsequent research.” Thanks for the positive reviews.

Paper award

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 19:04:00 -0500

My paper, “How Much Do Agendas Matter? Issue Attention and Policy Change” was awarded the Best Paper by an Emerging Scholar award by the Midwest Political Science Association. 11 years of consecutive Midwest attendance has finally paid off.

Policy History Articles Now Available

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 09:56:00 -0500

The first articles from my policy history project are now available. The Journal of Politics has published “The Variable Politics of the Policy Process: Issue Area Differences and Comparative Networks.” Interest Groups & Advocacy has published “Interest Group Influence on U.S. Policy Change: An Assessment Based on Policy History.”

Lobbying and congressional bill advancement

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 13:47:00 -0500

My article on lobbying and lawmaking, co-authored with Kurt Pyle, is now available (ungated): Lobbying and congressional bill advancement

Public Radio Programs to Discuss My Book

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 20:18:00 -0400

I was on a Wisconsin Public Radio call-in program, At Issue with Ben Merens, to discuss my book, The Not-So-Special Interests. Here is the archive link: http://bit.ly/M6psxr

I was also on the Craig Fahle show on WDET to discuss the book. Here is that link: bit.ly/L1Sdxk

My next book, Artists of the Possible, is now under contract

Thu, 03 May 2012 09:02:33 -0400

My next book is now under contract after review from Oxford University Press. It will be a year or two before it comes out but the current title is Artists of the Possible: Governing Networks and American Policy Change Since 1945.

The Kindle, Nook, and IBook versions of my book are now available.

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 09:34:00 -0400

The Not-So-Special Interests is now available on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, and Apple IBook.

Podcast on My New Book

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:08:37 -0400

Heath Brown interviewed me for the New Books Network about my book, The Not-So-Special Interests. The write-up and podcast are available here.

Posts on The Monkey Cage

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:39:50 -0400

I have been guest blogging on The Monkey Cage this week. Here are my posts:

Why Jews are Better Represented than Catholics

Inequality is Much Greater in Interest Groups than Elections

How Interest Group Mobilization Explains Media Bias

Civic Engagement is a Cause of Special Interests, Not a Solution

My new book, The Not-So-Special Interests, is now available.

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 23:22:00 -0400

The book uses original data to explain why certain public groups, such as Jews, lawyers and gun-owners, develop substantially more representation than others, and why certain organizations become the presumed spokespersons for these groups in government and media.

Publishers Weekly, which reviewed the book, says, “Tea Partyers and Occupiers alike think of ‘special interests’ as shadowy cabals that subvert the people’s will, but this stimulating academic study finds them a faithful mirror of the body politic.”

“Grossmann’s clear-eyed analysis of who gets a seat at the table suggests that democracy’s faults lie not in our lobbyists but in ourselves,” the review says.

The book was published by Stanford University Press. Read more here.

Matt in Media Coverage of the Campaign

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 07:43:28 -0500

I have been participating in media coverage of the presidential campaign, especially the Michigan primary. I have included some links below.

Archived Versions of Live Appearances:

FoxNews.com

Wisconsin Public Radio call-in program

WILS Radio

News Stories:

Mlive: Experts: Mitt Romney’s Michigan primary victory makes his nomination lead ‘close to insurmountable’

New York Daily News: Mitt Romney’s latest challenge: his ‘home state’ of Michigan

The Hill: Slouching toward GOP nomination, Romney needs big win in Michigan

Welcome

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:10:33 -0400

My new website contains my CV, my articles, my courses, and my projects. It also features an overview of my forthcoming book, The Not-So-Special Interests. I also welcome your questions. I can be reached at 517-355-7655 or matt at mattg dot org.

New Interest Group Journal

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 10:13:00 -0400

Palgrave Macmillan is launching a new journal, Interest Groups & Advocacy, in 2012. The journal will cover lobbying, group mobilization and strategy, and policy influence across the world. I will be serving on the editorial board and look forward to seeing the journal in print. You can learn more about the new journal here.

Campaigns & Elections: Rules, Reality, Strategy, Choice

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 23:24:00 -0400

Forthcoming in October…

A contemporary and comprehensive approach to campaigns and elections.

This new text, written by a respected author team, makes a contemporary approach to campaigns and elections accessible and engaging. Based on the authors’ own courses, Campaigns & Elections uses a clear, consistent framework to help students understand the strategies and choices involved in American campaigns and elections. With coverage of elections at the presidential, congressional, state, and local levels, the book’s analysis balances the perspectives of political scientists and campaign practitioners.

http://books.wwnorton.com/books/Campaigns-and-Elections/