The dynamics of a disturbance: New and established interests in technology policy debates

The effects of technological change have political implications. A “disturbance,” such as the rise of the Internet as a mass medium, brings about new policy issues and establishes new interest organizations in the lobbying community. The differential mobilization of interests can affect the resolution of these policy issues. I combine face-to-face interviews with Washington representatives from organizations involved in Internet policy debates with compiled data on the extent of their involvement to outline the difficulties that organizations face when building lobbying capacity, developing an agenda, and forming coalitions. The results indicate that new entrants face substantially more constraints than established interests and that these differences may affect policy outcomes. He formerly served as Research Director for the California Commission on Internet Political Practices.