Is Interest Group Density a Function of the Population of Interest?: Using the Population Ecology Model to Test State-level Interest Groups
Open Access
Author:
Paretti, Michael
Area of Honors:
Political Science
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Dr. David Lynn Lowery, Thesis Supervisor Dr. Gretchen G Casper, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Interest Groups Interest Groups Population Population Ecology Model Desity
Abstract:
Objective. This paper examines the effects of interest group density as a function of the population of interest. Specifically, three sectors (agriculture, manufacturing/ industrial, and mining) of each state’s economy will be examined to see if a relationship exists between the density of interest groups in the state and the population of the state. Methods. Each sector has a model designed using the basic premises of the population ecology model, testing the number of interest groups in that state as a function of the gross state product in the respective economic region. Each model also includes the variable of political competition as measured by the Ranney index of the level of political competition in each state (and accordingly, issue salience). Conclusions. The proposed models show strong relationships between interest group density and populations of interest; all three-regression models produced statistically significant results, showing that the number of interest groups in a particularized sector can be predicted by the state’s economic prowess in that sector.