Abstract
This paper evaluates the circumstances under which affluent interest groups wield influence over policy outcomes. Interest group scholarship is ambiguous about the beneficial role of economic resources for lobbying influence. Economically resourceful groups are often presumed to provide more and better expert information to decision-makers and, in exchange, receive more favourable policy concessions. We argue that the beneficial role of economic resources is contingent on the media salience of policy dossiers. We expect that resourceful groups are more influential when issues are discussed behind the public scenes, while their competitive advantage dampens once issues grow salient in the news media. We test our expectations in the context of European Union policymaking, drawing from 183 expert surveys with lobbyists connected to a sample of 41 policy issues. Our empirical findings demonstrate that economic resources matter for lobbying influence, but that their effect is conditional on the media salience of policy issues.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 1465116520944572 |
Pages (from-to) | 728-750 |
Number of pages | 23 |
Journal | European Union Politics |
Volume | 21 |
Issue number | 4 |
Early online date | 30 Jul 2020 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 2020 |
Keywords
- ADVOCACY GROUPS
- DEMOCRACY
- EU
- European Union
- INFORMATION
- INTEREST REPRESENTATION
- PERSPECTIVE
- POLITICS
- PRESSURE
- STRATEGIES
- SUCCESS
- influence
- interest groups
- lobbying
Datasets
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sj-zip-2-eup-10.1177_1465116520944572 - Supplemental material for Influence, affluence and media salience: Economic resources and lobbying influence in the European Union
Stevens, F. (Creator) & de Bruycker, I. (Contributor), figshare SAGE Publications, 31 Jul 2020
DOI: 10.25384/sage.12745670.v1, https://sage.figshare.com/articles/dataset/sj-zip-2-eup-10_1177_1465116520944572_-_Supplemental_material_for_Influence_affluence_and_media_salience_Economic_resources_and_lobbying_influence_in_the_European_Union/12745670/1
Dataset/Software: Dataset