By Invitation Only

by Steven E. Schier

Book Overview

By Invitation Only examines the shift in the United States from mobilization (the partisan method of stimulating very high voter turnout in elections) to activation--the political variant of "niche marketing." This more contemporary method that parties, interest groups, and candidates employ induces particular, finely targeted portions of the public to become active in elections, demonstrations, and lobbying. Traditional partisan mobilization...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0822957124
• ISBN13: 9780822957126
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press
• Length: 264 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Basically gets it right

This book is too good just for academics and pundits. For anyone concerned about declining rates of voter participation in America, this is must-read stuff. Schier is most provocative in how he argues that fundamentally our parties have too FEW resources, not too many. In particular, ever since parties lost the patronage and their ability to "mobilize" large swathes of the American electorate, more and more Americans have been dropping out because they are unwilling / unable to pay the costs of participation. The tradeoff, of course, which Schier could say more about, is that for those who DO participate, the ability to democratically influence policy has probably never been higher. Sure, lots of people voted in the 19th century, but their choices and the amount of policy they could really influence were very constricted. Today, more freedom - but also more responsibility, which creates a systematic bias in favor of the wealthy, the more-educated and the elderly. Schier doesn't really have a solution to this tradeoff (is there one?) but he sure nails the problem. The historical angle lends a fresh perspective to some familiar-sounding arguments. This book is particularly good read in conjunction with Michael McGerr's _The Decline of Popular Politics_ and Jonathan Rauch's _Government's End_.