| Strange Bedfellows: Interest Group Coalitions, Diverse Partners, and Influence in American Social Policy Contributor(s): Phinney, Robin (Author) |
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ISBN: 1107170362 ISBN-13: 9781107170360 Publisher: Cambridge University Press OUR PRICE: $114.00 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: June 2017 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Political Science | Political Process - Political Advocacy - Political Science | Public Policy - Social Policy - Political Science | American Government - General |
| Dewey: 361.610 |
| LCCN: 2017019842 |
| Physical Information: 0.7" H x 6.2" W x 9" (0.90 lbs) 196 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: How do advocates for the poor gain influence in American policymaking? Strange Bedfellows argues that groups representing low-income populations compensate for a lack of resources by collaborating with diverse partners in their lobbying efforts. This study develops a theory of coalition influence that explains the mechanisms and conditions of coalition formation and influence, and provides support for the theory through an analysis of one of the most significant social policy changes in recent history. The analysis shows that in the years preceding the federal welfare reform of 1996, advocates collaborated with diverse partners to influence policymaking, coalitions were used as a tool for pooling different types of resources and communicating information, and groups collaborated selectively across issues. Through rigorous theory and rich qualitative analysis, Strange Bedfellows sheds new light on lobbying and influence in policymaking while offering a theoretical framework for understanding the broader role of coalitions in American politics. |
Contributor Bio(s): Phinney, Robin: - Robin Phinney is Research Associate in the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. She received her Ph.D. in Public Policy and Political Science from the University of Michigan, where she received awards including the Ford Fellowship Award, Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship, and Mary Malcomson Raphael Fellowship. Her research and teaching focus on American politics and public policy, with an emphasis on organized interests, the policymaking process, social policy, and the well-being of low-income families. She brings an interdisciplinary perspective to her scholarship, which has been published in leading journals of political science, public policy, and social work. |