"Your agenda is our agenda": State legislators’ perspectives of interest group influence on political decision-making

Political decision makers often argue that their agenda is driven by the needs, values, and wants of constituents, yet little evidence exists documenting the transmission of agendas from the constituents to the decision maker. Interest groups play a crucial role in educating political decision makers about issues and persuading their response; therefore, this study begins to explore the transmission of agendas from interest groups to political decision makers by conducting individual interviews with nine state legislators. The results reveal that state legislators view interest groups as essential to making informed political decisions congruent with the constituents’ agenda. Implications for practice and research are discussed.