Interest Group Activism on the Web: The Case of Environmental Organizations

Resource Information

The work Interest Group Activism on the Web: The Case of Environmental Organizations represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in Bowdoin College Library. This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, Language Material, Books.

Label

Interest Group Activism on the Web: The Case of Environmental Organizations

Creator

• Merry, Melissa K
• Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor]

Author

• Merry, Melissa K

Contributor

• Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor]

Subject

• organizations
• Associations, institutions, etc
• Internet
• public interest groups

Summary

This study evaluates interest group activity on the Internet, addressing two sets of questions. First, has the Internet allowed small or poorly-funded groups to compete equally with well-resourced organizations? Second, to what extent do group characteristics explain their online activities? Using a sample of 200 environmental groups, this study evaluates which Web sites receive the most exposure and identifies features facilitating information dissemination and public participation. The results indicate that well-resourced groups receive greater Web site traffic and inbound links and are more likely to use all Web site features. Additionally, membership organizations are more likely than non-membership organizations to fund-raise and issue action alerts