The expression of density dependence in state communities of organized interests

We examine a key issue arising from the density dependence hypothesis of th e population ecology approach to studying interest communities: the express ion of density dependence through variations in the rates of entrance and/o r exit from lobbying communities. How such expression occurs will influence (a) the independence of mobilization phenomena from the nature of the lobb ying community into which an organization is being mobilized and (b) the pr ospects of demographic turnover within interest communities. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analyses of new and more complete data using a mo re fully specified model generates sharply different results from those rep orted by Gray and Lowery, suggesting that much greater attention must be ac corded to community context in analyses of the mobilization.