Early in the twentieth century liberal sociologists and political scientists began to develop systematic theoretical and empirical accounts of the formation and behavior of social groups, especially in politics. These ‘pluralist’ scholars noted the ease with which individuals sharing common interests and values coalesce into groups, classified the varied resources available to groups in politics, and traced the fluidity of the group bargaining processes that shape governmental decisions. Many of these accounts were normative as well as descriptive. Viewing pluralist bargaining as successful in integrating even marginal groups into the social and political mainstream, these analysts came to define the public interest in politics in processual not substantive terms, in effect legitimating whatever bargains emerged. According to the pluralist logic, if the process is fair then its outcomes should be regarded as democratically acceptable, if not necessarily just. The state, in this view, is simply one more group, albeit one with special rules of membership and unusual powers to enforce its bargains.