Cooperative Pluralism

"An absorbing book that offers fresh insights into interest group politics in Washington. [McFarland] treats us to practical insights, syntheses of interesting literatures, and fresh contributions to theory—all of which will make this book of considerable interest to widely varying audiences of scholars, including those attentive to interest groups, public policy making, and the politics of energy and the environment."—Political Science Quarterly

"A well-written, well-argued book with clear lessons for a critical issue of politics: What accounts for the patterns of division and cooperation among citizens and the groups that represent them?"—American Political Science Review

"McFarland explores a long overlooked facet of pluralist politics: the efforts that opposing groups sometimes make to negotiate their differences and promote mutually beneficial policy change. This fascinating study will be a staple of the interest group literature for years to come."—Paul J. Quirk, author of Industry Influences in Federal Regulatory Agencies

"In the light of recent interest in both deliberation and privatization, McFarland’s meticulous research on the attempts of environmentalists and business executives to negotiate their differences is sobering. He argues that deliberation among private parties has its limits because minority vetoes stymie negotiations and because active involvement of government officials is absolutely critical. This is an important contribution to literatures on interest groups, corporatism, environmental politics, and public policy."—John W. Kingdon, author of Congressmen's Voting Decisions

"Truly an original contribution to interest group theory. Although it ultimately failed to bring about binding agreements on the largest issues involved, the NCPP was surprisingly successful in getting as far as it did. For this approach to be improved so that it may succeed, political elites need a better understanding of the techniques that worked and those that didn't. McFarland’s imaginative and well-grounded theorizing serves that purpose. A work of distinction."—Jeffrey M. Berry, author of The Interest Group Society

"This is an intrinsically interesting case, and even more so for what its apparent failures tell us about the dynamics embedded in the American system of governance. This book makes important theoretical statements about the evolution of interest group politics and public policymaking in the United States."—Christopher J. Bosso, author of Pesticides and Politics: The Life Cycle of a Public Issue