Answer:Over the past several decades, the United States witnessed a tremendous growth in the number of interest groups.Why did these particular groups arise? Some scholars argue that groups form due to an event in the political, economic, or social environment.This theory, Known as the disturbance theory, describes the origins of interest groups as a natural reaction to a “disturbance in society.” That is, when the social, economic, or political environment is disturbed, a group or groups emerge in response to the disturbed conditions to press for policy change. David Truman stated that interest groups form primarily when there are changes in a social environment that upsets the well-being of some groups of people. The Theory states that interest groups form and grow in response to perceived threats, which has a direct cause and effect outcome on interest group formation.
For example, in 1962, Rachel Carson published Silent Spring, a book exposing the dangers posed by pesticides such as DDT. The book served as a catalyst for individuals worried about the environment and the potential dangers of pesticides. The result was an increase in both the number of environmental interest groups, such as Greenpeace and American Rivers, and the number of members within them.
However, sometimes adverse situations impacting individuals have been on-going or even worsened without any interest group being formed. This suggests that the disturbance theory has some serious limits and is overly optimistic. That is, those with resources–either financial or organizational leadership skills–can more quickly respond to adverse events. For example, during most of the 20th
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