Why membership? Interest group associations as policy entrepreneurs in Israel

Research output: Book/ReportBookpeer-review

Abstract

Despite declining traditional political participation, Israeli citizens profess an increased belief in their ability to influence policy. This research confirms the general hypothesis that this puzzle can partially be explained by the increased activity of civil society organizations. The theoretical contribution of this research is the development of a conceptual model which posits three main hypotheses for why organizations would choose to invest in a membership-recruiting strategy despite the significant investment this strategy requires. Drawing on a diverse theoretical literature, a set of hypotheses is developed regarding leverage, leadership, and legitimacy.
The empirical contribution of the case study comparisons of three leading interest group associations – the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI), the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), and the Movement for Quality Government (MQG) – confirms the hypothesis of an increased use of membership as an organizational strategy for building policy influence in Israel. The organizations are shown to be more interested over time in developing political leverage for influencing policymaking processes. Only one organization views membership primarily as a strategy for formal legitimation, but even this organization uses membership as a tool for gaining greater leverage resources. Yet, the case study findings are not optimistic regarding the capacity for such organizations to develop civic leadership. The research concludes with a number of practical policy implications, including suggestions for civic leaders regarding membership development and electoral reform.
Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationJerusalem
PublisherHebrew University of Jerusalem, Federmann School of Public Policy & Government
Number of pages69
StatePublished - Nov 2007
Externally publishedYes

Publication series

NameThe Orange series
PublisherHebrew University of Jerusalem, Federmann School of Public Policy & Government

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