by Theda Skocpol
Harvard University
This article focuses on civic democracy in the United States of America between the 1960s and 1990s, considering the nature of changes in voluntary groups and the effects of those changes on political participation and the workings of democratic politics. During recent decades, the article claims, cross-class, federated voluntary associations, which were a major component in mid-twentieth-century American society, have dwindled in membership and influence. In their place, professionally run interest associations have proliferated and now play a major role in the political process. The leadership and activists in these new professional advocacy associations tend to be predominantly middle class and higher-educated. This shift from membership groups to professionally managed associations has implications for the level and nature of political participation in th e United States, and affects public debates and the types of issues championed by voluntary groups. Although changes in civic democracy in the United States have enhanced variety and voice, the top tiers of society have gained influence, while access and participation have declined for citizens lacking wealth or higher education. These developments may well undercut support for broad, more egalitarian social policies in America.