Abstract

This article examines the uneven mobilization patterns of liberal and conservative Christian interest groups to test competing theories of group mobilization and to address the question of whether actual group membership is an accurate reflection of potential membership. An analysis of National Election Survey data suggests that the number of potential members of liberal Christian interest groups may actually be much higher than current group sizes indicate. Interviews with a sample of group leaders indicate that conservative groups are more effective than liberal groups at using existing networks to mobilize potential members.