Reviewed by Craig F. Emmert, Department of Political Science, Texas Tech University. The research design, based on analysis of court cases, examination of interest group documents, and interviews with group officials, is straightforward, and the author's exposition is very clear. Since there is little previous research on group participation in state court litigation, the book sheds new light on this important issue.
Several findings stand out.
In other words, the ACLU possesses the necessary resources, i.e., state affiliates and cooperating attorneys, etc., to systematically pursue its organizational goal of litigation for its preferred policies. Farole finds that there is less group participation in takings than in obscenity cases. If anything, the Court has been more receptive to property rights claims in recent years. Therefore, no legal incentive exists for groups to participate in state takings cases. He also points out, based on interviews, that groups believe state courts are too closely linked to state governments to overturn their regulatory decisions.