Who Speaks for the Poor?: National Interest Groups and Social Policy

ISBN-13: 9780815330752 / Angielski / Twarda / 2001 / 272 str.

R. Allen Hays; Steven A. Shull

Opis

Who Speaks for the Poor addresses the central question of how the interests of the poor gain representation in the political process by examining the interest group system. How do the interests of the poor gain representation in the political process? Perceived as uninvolved and virtually powerless, the poor do get attention from policy-makers. Although there is substantial evidence which shows that political participation and influence decrease as socio-economic status decreases, the federal government does have a budget for programs directed at the needs of the poor. R. Allen Hays closely examines this issue asking, "Do the poor speak for themselves in demanding this attention, or do others speak for them? Does government action aimed at the poor flow directly from concerns for their need, or do their needs get met as a byproduct of other concerns?"

Recenzje

"Hay's project provides much-needed insights into the configuration of organizations that testified on key pieces of legislation during a critical era in the history of American social welfare policy." -- Douglas R. Imig, University of Memphis, for the American Political Science Review
"This book should be mandatory reading for all advocates attempting to affect public policy on behalf of the poor.
Ralph Da Costa Nunez, Institute for Children and Poverty
Political Science Quarterly."

Spis treści

1. Introduction 2. Interest Groups in American Politics 3. Poverty and Political Action 4. Interest Groups in Social Policy 5. Interest Groups and the Policy Process 6. Mobilizing the Poor References Appendix

O autorze

R.Allen Hays