Critics of the policy-making process argue that private interest groups exert too much influence on the decisions of government, but only rarely has this proposition been examined systematically. The Hollow Core draws on interviews with more than 300 interest groups, 800 lobbyists, and 300 government officials to assess the efforts of private organizations to influence federal policy in four areas--agriculture, energy, health, and labor policy.

John P. Heinz is Distinguished Research Fellow, American Bar Foundation, and Owen L. Coon Professor of Law, Northwestern University.

Edward O. Laumann is George Herbert Mead Distinguished Service Professor of Sociology, and Provost, University of Chicago.

Robert L. Nelson is Research Fellow, American Bar Foundation, and Associate Professor of Sociology, Northwestern University.

Robert H. Salisbury is Sidney Souers Professor of American Government, Washington University, St. Louis.