From Reconstruction to Reform: Modernization and the Interest Group State, 1875–1900
The rise of voluntary associations in the late nineteenth century has received significant scholarly attention over the last few decades. Some studies argue that modernization facilitates group formation, but other analyses (e.g., Crowley and Skocpol 2001; Gamm and Putnam 1999) find little support for the argument that modernization caused group formation. Here, we extend this debate to the study of the strength of state-level, voluntary associations with clear political objectives. Using state-level dues paid to national organizations as a measure of group strength, we find evidence that more modernized states typically had the strongest state-level organizations in the 1880s and 1890s. These empirical findings lend support to the modernization thesis but also suggest that group formation and strength may be explained by different processes.
City? (Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute, October 1972). 10. Leona Vogt, et al., Health Start: Final Report of the Evaluation of the Second Year Program (Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute, December 1973). 11. Bayla White, et al., The Atlanta Project: How One Large School System Responded to Performance Information (Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute, March 1974). 12. John Waller, et aL, Monitoring for Criminal Justice Planning Agencies (Washington, D.C.: The Urban