Many of the basic issues of political science have been addressed
by pluralist theory, which focuses on the competing interests of a
democratic polity, their organization, and their influence on
policy. Popular in the 1960s, pluralism gradually lost favor and
nearly became obsolete when political scientists began to challenge
its fundamental assumptions. Andrew McFarland shows, however, that
this approach still provides a promising foundation for
understanding the American political process.
"Neopluralism" draws on pluralism's foundational logic to
synthesize its various strands into a single paradigm that
addresses three key, interrelated questions: Who has power? How is
policy made? What do interest groups do?
McFarland reexamines the major concepts and findings of the most
influential advocates of pluralism from the 1950s and 1960s, then
traces developments in American political science which have either
contested or built upon these concepts. Demonstrating that the work
underlying the original pluralist paradigm has been improved upon
by subsequent generations of scholars, he proposes an original
synthesis that combines elements of classical pluralist theory with
more recent theoretical developments, including work on social
movements, political development, and corporatism.
By demonstrating the degree to which much recent scholarship
shares an unstated allegiance to the process theory of politics,
McFarland shows how new studies can be designed that can contribute
to this theoretical perspective. He also suggests how process
theory continues to develop and is likely to expand into the fields
of comparative politics, international relations, and social
movement studies.
Summarizing fifty years of research on political power, public
policymaking, and interest groups, "Neopluralism" offers a fresh
overview of current thinking in political science. Because it makes
a strong case for revisiting an abandoned paradigm, it is essential
reading for all scholars who wish to solidify their understanding
of interest group behavior, public policy, and American politics in
general.
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