Kenneth T. Andrews, professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, will write a book on local and state environmental groups and the social, political, and economic factors that influence them. Combining qualitative and quantitative strategies, Andrews will interview environmental groups and examine media coverage on environmental matters to determine the exact role played by these groups in both public debates and state action. His aim will be to determine their effectiveness and whether they have actually changed policy, and more generally, whether small, local groups are more effective at promoting civic engagement than national advocacy organizations.