Assessing citizen views of interest group alliances

Abstract

How do members of the public view collaboration among organized interests and what factors contribute to attitudes about working in coalition? Interest groups frequently must decide whether to partner formally in pursuit of a shared objective while minimizing potential losses of revenue, reputation, and issue ownership. Using a nationally representative survey with an embedded experiment, we consider the potential ramifications of group collaboration from the perspective of potential members. Results show that, while a substantial minority views group collaboration negatively, most do not, and experimental exposure to a collaborating group yields positive evaluations and higher prospective contributions. The results reinforce the essentially pluralist public perceptions of interest groups that are supportive of their existing collaborative efforts.