ABSTRACT
This paper seeks to evaluate the information theory of interest group influence by
examining the use of political and policy information by new technology interest groups in
Congressional hearings over an extended period of time (1985-2004). Previous literature has
asserted that interest groups provide valuable policy information to members of Congress and
that this information influences policymaking under the assumption that legislators are uncertain
about policies and their outcomes (i.e. Hansen 1991, Wright 1996). This paper is part of an
extended project which contends that interest groups’ informational influence is limited to a
narrow set of conditions. The theoretical premise of this project is that interest groups’ use of
policy information is important when the timing and context of the issue favors it. The
expectation of this study is that timing and policy context are crucial to interest group influence;
interest groups’ use of policy outcome information will only be influential when the issue area is
new (timing context) and when the issue area is one that is complex, requiring extensive
knowledge to understand the outcomes of different policy options (policy context). New
technology policies meet both conditions, which makes this a fruitful test of the theory of interest
group informational lobbying influence.
This conference paper utilized sixty-five industry interest group testimonies from nine
Congressional hearings on computer/Internet policy bills between the 99
th
Congress and the 108
th
Congress (1985-2004). Paragraphs for oral testimonies were coded for the types of information
used by industry groups. Preliminary findings show that the use of different types of information
by industry interests change over time as the issue area becomes more established and the
technology is no longer a new issue. The use of policy information types was found to decrease
over time while the use of political information types was found to increase over time.
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Convention