Three views of associationalism in 19th Century America: An empirical examination

This article examines three different theoretical conceptions of associationalism with respect to cross-sectional data on municipal expenditure and voter participation in American cities for the fiscal year 1880: a "neo-Tocquevillian'' perspective, which generally views associational activity as an alternative to government intervention; a "social movements" perspective, which views associations as interest groups mobilized to stimulate government action in areas germane to their specific pursuits; and a "social capital" perspective, which is neutral with respect to the impact of associationalism on the size of government but views associational activity as a stimulus to greater political participation. The analysis provides little support for the social capital and neo-Tocquevillian perspectives but strong support for the social movements notion that one of the predominant political influences of associationalism, at least in late 19th-century American cities, was that of interest group mobilization in support of specific municipal appropriations and party platforms.