INTEREST GROUPS AND LITIGATION

Interest groups engaged in litigation are faced with questions of litigation strategy and of allocation of resources. Planned constitutional litigation, part of mobilization of the law, is problematic, as is the choice of forum in which the litigation is brought. Litigation by interest groups is affected by the political environment, including judicial rulings; the complexity of litigation itself; inter-organizational relations; and, most importantly, a series of intra-organizational factors. The latter include control of litigation, group longevity, relations between lawyers and organization, and organizational structure. These elements of interest group litigation are explored in this article.     

THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION, ANTITRUST LEGISLATION AND INTEREST GROUP COALITIONS

This article examines the testimonial behavior of the American Bar Association with respect to congressional hearings conducted to consider proposed changes in the antitrust laws during the 1970s. The ABA displayed a pattern of agreement in opposition to the proposed antitrust legislation with recurrently appearing business interest groups, and the Nixon and Ford Justice Departments. ABA testimony proved inconsistent with the views expressed by the Federal Trade Commission and a consumer lobby, the Consumer Union. Variable intergroup interaction levels, and data on the vested interests of ABA leaders are suggested as possessing explanatory power.     

VALUES ANALYSIS IN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

The consideration of values in environmental policy decisions requires attention not only to substantive matters of environmental quality, but also to balancing such broader social values as science, democracy and authority. Current methods for values analysis can be grouped according to their relative emphasis among these values in order to better illuminate the implications of adopting such methods.