The New Liberalism: The Rising Power of Citizen Groups

If you think liberalism is dead, think again. In this sure-to-be-controversial book, Jeffrey M. Berry argues that modern liberalism is not only still alive, it's actually thriving. Today's new liberalism has evolved from a traditional emphasis on bread-and-butter economic issues to a form he calls ""postmaterialism""--quality-of-life concerns such as enhancing the environment, protecting consumers, or promoting civil rights. Berry credits the new liberalism's success to the rise of liberal citizen lobbying groups. By analyzing the activities of Congress during three sessions (1963, 1979, and 1991), he demonstrates the correlation between the increasing lobbying activities of citizen groups and a dramatic shift in the American political agenda from an early 1960s emphasis on economic equality to today's postmaterialist issues. Although conservative groups also began to emphasize postmaterial concerns--such as abortion and other family value issues--Berry finds that liberal citizen groups have been considerably more effective than conservative ones at getting their goals onto the congressional agenda and enacted into legislation. The book provides many examples of citizen group issues that Congress enacted into law, successes when citizen groups were in direct conflict with business interests and when demands were made on behalf of traditionally marginalized constituencies, such as the women's and civil rights movements. Berry concludes that although liberal citizen groups make up only a small portion of the thousands of lobbying organizations in Washington, they have been, and will continue to be, a major force in shaping the political landscape.

About the Author :
Jeffrey M. Berry is John Richard Skuse Class of 1941 Professor of Political Science at Tufts University. His most recent book, "The New Liberalism: The Rising Power of Citizen Groups "(Brookings, 1999) won the Policy Studies Organization's 1999 best book award.

Review :
"Berry marshals copious evidence that over the past four decades, liberal citizen groups have outperformed conservative groups and business lobbies in almost every regard --commanding more positive media attention, winning more legislative victories, and indeed lasting longer as organizations." -- "The American Prospect" "In 'The New Liberalism' (Brookings Institution Press), Jeffrey Berry, a professor at Tufts University, has tracked the influence of consumer advocacy and environmental groups since the 1960s. He concludes that they have been more effective than corporate lobbyists in getting their case across. Between 1963 and 1991, he says, groups such as Mr Nader's own Public Citizen were better at persuading Congress to discuss issues they cared about, better at catching journalists' attention, and so more efficient in shaping laws." -- "The Economist", 2/28/2004