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Article

Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens

Martin Gilens; Benjamin I. Page · Perspectives on Politics 12(3), 564–581 · 2014

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Type: Article
Author: Martin Gilens; Benjamin I. Page
Identifier: DOI 10.1017/S1537592714001595
Accessed: 2026-09-01

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DisputedAnalysing 1,779 US policy issues, Gilens and Page found that economic elites and business-oriented interest groups had substantial independent impact on federal policy while average citizens and mass-based groups had little or none; Enns argued that average citizens often get the outcomes they want because their preferences usually coincide with those of the affluent.