Who Speaks for the Poor: National Interest Groups and Social Policy (Politics and Policy in American Institutions)

This book 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? This is the central question of R. Allen Hays's study on the role of interest groups in policymaking. Focusing on three sub-issues of social policy - housing, nutrition, and welfare - Hays illustrates the indirect representation that occurs with the help of the interest group system. Drawing on surveys and congressional and interest group theory, Who Speaks for the Poor? presents evidence of how the frequency of testimony relates to influence in policymaking and shows the ways in which the needs of the poor get attention from policymakers."--BOOK JACKET. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 Acknowledgments......Page 8 Series Editor's Foreword......Page 10 Introduction......Page 14 Interest Groups in American Politics......Page 30 Poverty and Political Action......Page 50 Interest Groups in Social Policy......Page 106 Interest Groups and the Policy Process......Page 160 Mobilizing the Poor......Page 224 Appendix......Page 248 References......Page 266 Index......Page 282 The central question that this book addresses is,"How do the interests of the poor gain presentation in the political process?"