Advocacy Organizations in the U.S. Political Process

Abstract

We examine scholarship on the role and influence of advocacy organizations in the U.S. political process. We identify common theoretical questions in the disconnected literatures on social movements, interest groups, and nonprofits, and we propose a unifying conceptual framework for examining advocacy organizations. Focusing on the post-1960s growth in advocacy organizations, we examine major organizational characteristics including organizational structures, membership and participation, resources, and interorganizational networks and coalitions. Our analysis of organizational influence focuses on five dimensions of the policy process: (a) agenda setting, (b) access to decision-making arenas, (c) achieving favorable policies, (d) monitoring and shaping implementation, and (e) shifting the long-term priorities and resources of political institutions. Finally, we identify recurrent theoretical and methodological problems, including the compartmentalization of research within disciplines, an overreliance on studies of large national organizations, a disproportionate focus on recruitment and selective incentives, and limited research on the influence of advocacy organizations. We conclude by highlighting productive pathways for future scholarship.

Origins of Social Capital: Socialization and Institutionalization Approaches Compared

“…The first of the two articles approaches the question at the meso-level how do the changes we observe affect the way in which organizations interact? Ties between organizations are important for a number of reasons; they are hypothesized to increase efficiency, stability, legitimacy, and access to resources such as political influence, funding, information sharing, referrals, and reduced transaction costs (Andrews & Edwards, 2004;Borgatti & Foster, 2003;Gulati & Gargiulo, 1999;Oliver, 1990). But they play a particularly important role in social capital theory, as they extend the social networks that allows social trust to become transitive and spread (Putnam, 1993b) and connect individuals and institutions across power gradients in society, a (Szreter & Woolcock, 2004, 655).…”

Legislators’ Need for Civil Society Expertise: Tunisian Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Opportunity

“…Although CSOs in Tunisia already enjoy some opportunity to influence legislators' votes, Tunisian CSOs face similar obstacles to engaging in legislative advocacy that CSOs in other developing countries face (Andrews and Edwards 2004;Schmid, Bar, and Nirel 2008;Mosley 2010). Tunisia's historical and organizational factors, such as financial and human resources, accessibility, and time all affect the ability of CSOs to engage in advocacy.…”

“…Earlier definitions focused on working for a cause, whereas more recent definitions highlight contributing to a collective action, idea, or policy. Advocacy can also be divided into subcategories, ranging from case advocacy to general advocacy, from direct to indirect, from pragmatic to legislative, and from case to policy advocacy (Almog-Bar and Schmid 2013; Andrews and Edwards 2004;Kimberlin 2010;Laws 1997;Mosley 2010). Reid (cited in Saidel 2002) provided a typology of action advocacy that included legislative advocacy.…”

Lobbying in the Virtual World: Perceptions in the Nonprofit Sector

“…Jenkins (1987, 324) sees advocacy as a "major force for the renewal of American democracy", and as an element counteracting interests of big business. Though most policy analysts and scholars of the nonprofit sector agree that nonprofit advocacy is a significant political component of the American nonprofit sector (Jenkins 1987;McNutt and Boland 1999;Child and Grønbjerg 2007), advocacy is a lopsided battle: one which entails pursuing public interests (Andrews and Edwards 2004) and a struggle to represent collective interests against powerful elite influences (McNutt 2008;Suárez 2009). This lopsidedness regarding the advocacy of often-vulnerable publics forms another impetus to increase awareness of the potential impact of nonprofit lobbying.…”