Loomis, B.A., & Cigler, A.J. Introduction: The changing
nature of interest group politics, 1-33.
In the introduction to a new edition of their book, Loomis and Cigler state that "organized interests have proliferated over the last 20 years, and the trend toward increased representation of all kinds of interests continues" (p. 1). This establishes the context in which Loomis and Cigler (p. 2) discuss the formation, nature, activities, and impact of special interest groups on the American political system. The authors (p. 2) do make note of the fact that interest groups have long been a fixture in American political life and that the forefathers were well aware of the potential for discord due to factions and their pursuit of influence and power.
This chapter begins with a listing of the important trends or changes in modern interest group politics. Among these trends are a great proliferation of such groups since the early 1960s, centralization of groups in Washington, D.C., sophisticated technological developments in information processing, the rise of single issue groups, changes in campaign finance law, and the increased formal penetration of political and economic interests into the bureaucracy, the presidency, and Congress. In sum, Loomis and Cigler (pp. 2-3) make a strong case in this chapter for the existence of a cycle of interest group influence and suggest that in the current political environment, interest groups have become key political players that help to shape the policymaking process.
The authors move from a discussion of how pluralism and liberalism create a climate for group proliferation to a discussion of the theories of group development. They note (p. 6) that central to theories of group proliferation are the pluralist notion that elements of society possess common needs and share a group identity of consciousness - sufficient conditions for the formation of effective political organization...