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The Relationship of Leadership Quality to the Political Presence of Civic Associations

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  • Han, Hahrie
  • Andrews, Kenneth T.
  • Ganz, Marshall Louis
  • Baggetta, Matthew

Abstract

Member-based civic associations, or citizen groups, have two crucial roles in American democracy. They advocate for members' interests in the public arena, but also operate as Tocquevillian “schools of democracy†linking citizens to politics and equipping them with the skills of democratic citizenship. Yet scant research has examined the interrelationships of these two roles. Does the work that civic associations do in developing democratic participants enhance the work they do advocating for members' interests in the public arena? We bring together two previously disparate strands of research on civic associations by arguing that a key factor affecting the political presence of civic associations is leadership quality. We focus on the relationship of leadership quality to political presence, using data from a unique 2003 study of 226 local entities of the Sierra Club. We show that organizations with more skilled and committed leaders have higher levels of political presence. This contrasts with previous research that has focused primarily on community context and resources as explanatory factors. This study shows that political presence is related to the extent to which leaders develop their skills and demonstrate commitment to the organization.

Suggested Citation

  • Han, Hahrie & Andrews, Kenneth T. & Ganz, Marshall Louis & Baggetta, Matthew, 2011. "The Relationship of Leadership Quality to the Political Presence of Civic Associations," Scholarly Articles 8065967, Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
    • Handle: RePEc:hrv:hksfac:8065967
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ganz, Marshall Louis, 2000. "Resources and Resourcefulness: Strategic Capacity in the Unionization of California Agriculture, 1959-1966," Scholarly Articles 12641805, Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
    2. KENNY, CHRISTOPHER & McBURNETT, MICHAEL & BORDUA, DAVID, 2004. "The Impact of Political Interests in the 1994 and 1996 Congressional Elections: The Role of the National Rifle Association," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 34(2), pages 331-344, April.
    3. Steven E. Barkan, 2004. "Explaining Public Support for the Environmental Movement: A Civic Voluntarism Model," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 85(4), pages 913-937, December.
    4. Skocpol, Theda & Ganz, Marshall & Munson, Ziad, 2000. "A Nation of Organizers: The Institutional Origins of Civic Voluntarism in the United States," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 94(3), pages 527-546, September.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Brock V. Stoddard & Caleb A. Cox & James M. Walker, 2021. "Incentivizing provision of collective goods: Allocation rules," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 87(4), pages 1345-1365, April.

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