TVA's Old and New Grass Roots

Abstract

Philip Selznick's examination of cooptation reinterpreted the idealized reputation of TVA's grassroots administration as the ordinary pursuit of organizational needs. This article examines cooptation in TVA since Selznick's study including a new round of cooptation related to reforms beginning in 1977. This later look at cooptation shows it to be a changing balance of coopted groups, an agency's leadership, and an agency's political environment. This dynamic concept emphasizes cooptation as a changing process of participation and representation rather than a stable, enduring outcome of bureaucratic process. This is consistent with Selznick's conclusion, although the history of coopted groups makes clearer that the principal function of cooptation, for the agency and the coopted groups, is to legitimate an agency's leadership. In addition, this history suggests two important caveats to Selznick's findings. First, coopted groups, under certain conditions, may acquire real power over an agency; second, cooptation may be a satisfactory and effective form of participation at times for some relatively powerless groups.