Inside versus outside lobbying: How the institutional framework shapes the lobbying behaviour of interest groups

Florian Weiler, Matthias Brändli

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract (may include machine translation)

Different types of interest groups use different lobbying strategies. This article presents an investigation of this already well-established hypothesis once more, but additionally proposes that the institutional framework of the country in which interest groups operate also influences their lobbying behaviour. More specifically, it is shown that groups working in the interest of the public are better integrated into the policy-making process when direct democratic instruments, such as referendums, occur regularly (as in Switzerland) than when referendums are the exception (Germany). The article demonstrates that Swiss cause groups - often also referred to as 'public interest groups' in the literature - use a more balanced mixture of insider and outsider strategies than their German peers, but also that this moderating effect cannot be found for specific interest groups, such as industry groups or unions.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)745-766
Number of pages22
JournalEuropean Journal of Political Research
Volume54
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2015
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Direct democracy
  • Electoral institutions
  • Inside lobbying
  • Interest group strategies
  • Outside lobbying

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