Author (Your Name)

Roy Meyers, Colby College

Date of Award

1976

Document Type

Senior Scholars Paper (Open Access)

Department

Colby College. Government Dept.

Advisor(s)

Maisel, Louis, 1945-

Abstract

This study is about political movements in Maine in the period of 1966 to 1976, viewed through the formation and development of voluntary political organizations in eight movements--environment, public power, consumer, good government, human rights, low-income, conservative, and public employee. My object is to investigate the relatlonships between these movements and the state polity. The development of our national political system--changes in our social and economic system, in shifting attitudes, in the growth of governrnent, and in the party system--and the development of Maine's political system -- changes in economic structure and party strength, the traditional acceptance of interest groups as a form of political action, and the presence of "Maine consciousness" -- have made the New Deal alignment of liberal vs. conservative increasing irrelevant. The formation of new voluntary political organizations result from these changes in the American social structure, introducing new groups and political issues into the system, and leading to the eventual adjustment of the party system to these forces.

Keywords

Political action committees -- Maine, Pressure groups -- Maine

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