Interest Group Lobbying on a Morality Policy Issue: The Case of Physician-Assisted Suicide in Michigan

Authors

  • John Strate
  • Marvin Zalman

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15763/issn.2374-7781.2003.24.0.321-342

Abstract

Interest group lobbying on morality policy issues differs from lobbying on other kinds of issues. In this paper we use insights from the literature on morality policy politics to examine the lobbying of interest groups in Michigan on the issue of physician-assisted suicide (PAS). Morality policy politics is marked by the greater involvement of citizens groups. Citizens groups advocating policies that are publicly popular engage in disproportionate outside lobbying, but their capacity in this regard may be curtailed because of limited resources. Inside lobbying on morality policy issues focuses especially on getting various kinds of help from sympathetic legislators but does not try to change their opinions.

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Published

2004-01-01

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