Lobbying Together is cleverly conceived, carefully constructed and empirically rich. It successfully replaces our old notions of relatively solitary interest groups working at cross-purposes with an up-to-date view of shifting coalitions, explaining not only why and how strange bedfellows get together, but why they do not stay in bed for long. -- David C. King, professor of public policy, Harvard University An outstanding study of interest group coalitions. What particularly impresses me is Hula's research on the incentive structure underlying coalition formation. Building on his extensive interviews, Hula develops an explanation of how coalition brokers overcome the collective action problem. This is an important and timely book. -- Jeffrey M. Berry, professor of political science, Tufts University

Today organized interests fight most of their major battles within coalitions. Whether joining forces to address tobacco legislation or proposed air safety regulations, Washington lobbyists with seemingly little in common are combining their clout to get results. Kevin Hula here examines why coalition strategies have emerged as a dominant lobbying technique, when lobbyists use them, and how these strategies affect their activities. His is the first book to focus on the formation and use of coalitions by lobbyists, examining the broader scope of interest group coalitions and explaining their roles as institutions of collective leadership, bargaining, and strategy for member organizations. Combining collective action theory with data gleaned from 130 interviews with lobbyists and interest group leaders in the fields of transportation, education, and civil rights, Hula explores how the use of coalitions differs at various stages of the policy process and with different activities. In the course of his study, he also shows how the communications revolution is changing interest group tactics. The single most detailed work available on this subject, "Lobbying Together" offers scholars and students alike a fresh and accessible look at this increasingly important factor in the policy process.