The document summarizes changes in civic participation and politics in America before the rise of the internet. It describes how until the 1960s, large voluntary membership organizations with local chapters dominated civic participation. However, from the 1960s onward, there was a rise of professionally managed advocacy groups without local chapters or membership rolls. Key factors driving this change included rights movements, growth of public interest groups and PACs, and the influence of television and direct mail marketing allowing groups to mobilize supporters nationally rather than locally. This resulted in a shift to more top-down, elite-driven forms of political participation and communication.
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