Book excerpt: This book is an outgrowth of a special seminar on Pressure Groups conducted in the Department of Political Science at Howard University during the fall of 2000. The major focus of the seminar was on DC Vote. The chapters in this book are revised versions of the papers that were presented at the seminar. Since the chapters employ an interest-group perspective to investigate various aspects of DC Vote¡_s efforts to influence decision-makers at all branches of government and throughout the United States, the book is a valuable tool for instructors and students in most areas of American Government and Politics, especially National Government, State and Local Government, Interest Group Politics, Public Administration, and Political Behavior.