Democracy and Interest Groups assesses the contribution that interest groups make to the democratic involvement of citizens and the generation of social capital. The authors draw on new surveys of groups and members and more unusually with non-participants. It also makes use of in-depth interviews with campaign group leaders and organizers.

Explores the need for political science to pay more attention to complex interactions involvingpolitically relevant groups. Distinguished contributors report on data from around the world and at different levels of political decision making from 'below the radar' in local communities to global negations at the World Trade Organization."