The Rise of the Agricultural Welfare State: Institutions and Interest Group Power in the United States, France, and Japan

(Paperback)

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A long-dominant reading of American politics holds that public policy in the United States is easily captured by special interest groups. Countering this view, Adam Sheingate traces the development of government intervention in agriculture from its 19th-century origins to contemporary struggles over farm subsidies. His considered conclusion is that American institutions have not given agricultural interest groups any particular advantages in the policy process, in part because opposing lobbies also enjoy access to policymakers. This study not only puts a fresh spin on agricultural policy, but also makes a case for the broader claim that the relatively decentralized American political system is actuallyless prone to capture and rule by subgovernments than the more centralized political systems found in France and Japan. Sheingate's historical, comparative approach demonstrates how past institutional developments shape policies and options.

Reviews

One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2001 "A good read on the origin, evolution, and contemporary politics of agricultural-support policies in the United States, France and Japan."--Foreign Affairs "A splendid comparative study of agricultural policy processes in the US, France, and Japan..."--Choice "This historical and comparative analysis is well executed... The book makes a contribution by virtue of its historical sweep and the quality of research... A helpful addition to the growing body of historical institutionalist literature that demonstrates the influence of macro- and sectoral-level institutions on policymaking."--Grace Skogstad, American Political Science Review

Author Bio

Adam D. Sheingate is Assistant Professor of Political Science at The Johns Hopkins University.