ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the dynamics of interest group behavior that contribute to political change. It considers the opportunities for political reform presented by the interest group system, comparing the situation facing President Clinton with that of some of his Democratic predecessors. The chapter shows that opportunities are not lacking. It also shows that long-term trends have led to important changes in the distribution of interests represented in the nation's interest group system. Pluralist visions of the group system often emphasize the importance of the potential for even the unmobilized to move into political action if their interests are threatened. David Truman's countermobilization theory calls for waves of mobilization by different types of competing groups; Olson expects more and more "special interest" groups to emerge. The oldest groups, such as the American Medical Association, were founded before the expansion of medicine, but most arose in the early 1900s. The chapter shows how the group system can also enc.
