In person icon Rethinking Interest Group Access: Strategies, Policymakers, and Venue Utility

Abstract

The study of interest groups’ access to decision-making venues is a central strand of interest group research. Access serves as an intermediate objective that facilitates influence and is often easier to measure than power itself. Over the past two decades, numerous studies have examined access across different venues and political contexts, improving our understanding of the factors enabling groups to acquire what is widely considered a scarce good. To refine this understanding, this panel explores the following questions: Existing research on interest group access often overlooks groups’ strategic considerations. While access is sought for its potential benefits, these benefits depend not only on securing entry but also on a venue’s usefulness in shaping policy outcomes. The utility that groups ascribe to different venues has been largely ignored. Yet, controlling for this distinction is crucial: do groups lack access because they lack the necessary access goods, or do they forgo access because they see little value in it? Similarly, a group’s absence from a policymaking process may reflect not exclusion but a strategic decision to prioritize other issues. This panel invites contributions that assess how interest groups evaluate the utility of different venues and issues in explaining access patterns. A focus on this dimension can provide a more nuanced understanding of groups' actual capacity to secure access. Additionally, this panel seeks to problematize the role of policymakers, often seen as rational actors granting access in exchange for policy expertise or legitimacy. Yet, how do they manage the rapid expansion of interest groups within a policy domain? How do they distinguish insiders from outsiders when they have limited knowledge of groups’ capacities? Does a growing interest group community lead to broader access, or does it intensify competition? To what extent do policymakers reflect on their engagement with interest groups? Do they passively grant access to those with the right resources, or do they actively shape the diversity of those included? By addressing these questions, this panel aims to deepen our understanding of the complex dynamics of interest group access and policymaker strategies.

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