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Managing membership: federated voluntary membership associations in the USA

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Adam Chamberlain
Adam Chamberlain
Adam Chamberlain
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Alixandra B. Yanus
Alixandra B. Yanus
Alixandra B. Yanus
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Abstract and Figures

Federated voluntary membership associations were central to the development of American politics and society. However, these associations declined post-World War II as centralized advocacy organizations and non-profits rose to prominence; this has been called a transition from “membership to management” (Skocpol in Diminished democracy: from membership to management in American Civic Life, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, 2003). We argue, however, that management was always paramount to organized interests. Federated associations, under the auspices of stable, elected, and well-compensated leaders, controlled the creation of new affiliates, monitored their actions, and established a consistent message through publications and the press. We support these claims using historical quantitative and qualitative evidence from American federated associations during their ascendance and the height of their success (1875–1920). The analysis reveals that management—albeit of membership—was essential to the growth of both the federated model and the American interest group state.
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Vol.:(0123456789)
Interest Groups & Advocacy (2023) 12:1–23
https://doi.org/10.1057/s41309-022-00170-3
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Managing membership: federated voluntary membership
associations intheUSA
AdamChamberlain1 · AlixandraB.Yanus2
Accepted: 27 September 2022 / Published online: 11 October 2022
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited 2022
Abstract
Federated voluntary membership associations were central to the development of
American politics and society. However, these associations declined post-World War
II as centralized advocacy organizations and non-profits rose to prominence; this has
been called a transition from “membership to management” (Skocpol in Diminished
democracy: from membership to management in American Civic Life, University of
Oklahoma Press, Norman, 2003). We argue, however, that management was always
paramount to organized interests. Federated associations, under the auspices of sta-
ble, elected, and well-compensated leaders, controlled the creation of new affiliates,
monitored their actions, and established a consistent message through publications
and the press. We support these claims using historical quantitative and qualitative
evidence from American federated associations during their ascendance and the
height of their success (1875–1920). The analysis reveals that management—albeit
of membership—was essential to the growth of both the federated model and the
American interest group state.
Keywords Voluntary associations· Interest groups· Federations· Civil society·
Management
Introduction
Civic life in the USA has always centered around national organizations (Skocpol
2003). The earliest incarnations of these groups were federated voluntary associa-
tions, notable for their large local-level memberships and the civic life they fostered.
Members paid dues, supported one another with relief and friendship, and built
community. Local groups, moreover, were often cross-class, uniting citizens from
* Adam Chamberlain
achamber@coastal.edu
1 Department ofPolitical Science, Coastal Carolina University, Conway, SC, USA
2 Department ofPolitical Science, High Point University, HighPoint, NC, USA
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
... Status as a formal legal entity facilitates hiring staff, undertaking contracts, and promoting an organizational 'brand.' This may be strengthened through codified decision rules and systems and, sometimes, through organizational hierarchies or federated structures ( Zald 1970;Jenkins 2006;Lu 2018;Chamberlain and Yanus 2023). ...
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