| Olson's The Logic of Collective Action (1965) contends that collective interests are insufficient motivations for membership, because those interests could be equally served by free-riding. Instead, selective incentives are necessary to combat free-riding. Olson's rational choice theory became widely accepted by social scientists, virtually dismissing any role for collective incentives in the decision to join an interest group.;In this thesis, I argue that the recruitment rhetoric of an interest group affects prospective members' reasons for deciding whether or not to join. A group can overcome the attraction of free-riding by providing selective benefits, but also by offering members an identity, by convincing them urgent action is necessary to prevent harm to something they value, or by impressing on prospective members the importance of their contributions.;My empirical focus is on environmental groups. I examine the direct mailings of five environmental groups to determine how each group frames membership: as a means of acquiring selective member benefits, as a chance to contribute to shared political goals, as a declaration of a shared identity, as a demonstration of personal efficacy, or as some combination of these incentives. The groups included in the study are: Sierra Club, Nature Conservancy, Environmental Defense Fund, Xerces Society, and EarthFirst!;My method is rhetorical analyses of the direct mail literature environmental groups produce to recruit new members. I examine a principle recruitment package for each group and a test recruitment package for three of the five groups. I have concluded that political mobilization by environmental groups does not conform to the predictions of Olson's rational choice theory. None of the groups in the study frame membership as a means of acquiring selective member benefits. Two of the groups offer no selective member benefits. Only one group, the Nature Conservancy, gives its member benefits prominent placement in its mailing. Even the Nature Conservancy prioritizes its success at conserving wilderness over the tangible, material benefits it offers members. |
