The Revolving Door Mechanism In US Interest Group Politics

Interest groups exist more or less in every country. Interest group politics inAmerica is even more prominent, and the revolving door is getting increasingattention in recent years. The “revolving door phenomenon” refers to the transfer ofpersonnel from government to industry, or from industry to government, or fromgovernment to lobbying groups. The paper will discuss the theoretical studies oninterest groups, the major approaches adopted by interest groups to influencegovernment decisions, specific cases of the revolving door, and the reasons andregulations on the revolving door. The paper concludes that interest group politics andthe revolving door mechanism have both merits and side effects. Whileacknowledging its merits in promoting civic participation and democracy, the sideeffects should not be overlooked, and proper measures should be taken to regulate therevolving door.