Doctoral Dissertation Research in Political Science: Consensus and Conflict: Interest Group Strategies in the Policy Process

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This Doctoral Dissertation Research Support investigation analyzes the strategies competing interest groups use to influence implementation of public policy. Specifically, the student investigates group's choice to cooperate in the implementation of Section 10(1) of the Endangered Species Act (Habitat Conservation Planning). The student argues that the political and structural environments shape this choice by determining the relative advantages of conflictual versus cooperative strategies available to groups. Decisions regarding strategy choice are conditional upon the external political context, group resource capacity, and underlying nature of the problem. By focusing on group behavior at implementation, the analysis will contribute to our understanding of the policy process, and cooperation and political behavior.The Doctoral Dissertation Research Support project proceeds in several stages. In-depth case study analysis of selected HCPs will allow refinement of the hypotheses and enhance the study's validity. The analysis of the model using a broader, existing study, spanning multiple policy areas proceeds. The primary data collection strategy includes an electronic mail survey of group behavior. The data collected allow assessment of those contextual factors that influence the choices groups make.