Interest Groups and Voluntary Associations in the Policy Process: Analytical Framework and Empirical Examples

A lot of research exists about the role of interest groups in the policy process. The research is, however, fragmented and not always specific with regard to the various stages of the process. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the development of an analytical framework for the study of interest groups and voluntary associations’ influence across the policy cycle. How do interest groups and voluntary associations influence public policies at various stages in the policy process, and to what degree does this depend on type of organization, type of resources they have, their strategies, and the levels of government and types/fields of public policy they are trying to influence? The paper will include discussions of various interrelated dimensions and subdimensions together with empirical examples related to: • types of interest groups and related organizations (e.g. voluntary associations, NGOs, etc.), • interest group resources (money, expertise, etc.), • interest group strategies (targeting media, public opinion, parliament, government, ministries and/or public agencies), • levels of government and governance (international, national, subnational), and • types of public policies (e.g. Lowi’s and Wilson’s typologies, complexity and degrees of conflict, sector policies). The discussion of these dimensions will be seen in relation to • different stages of the policy cycle (e.g. initiation/agenda setting, definition of problems and solutions, decision making, implementation, evaluation, feedback). In addition, we will look at how influence at the various stages in the policy process varies depending on • political systems and regimes (e.g. corporatist and pluralist systems, Esping-Andersen’s welfare regimes), and • developments over time. The discussion of the relationship between the various dimensions and the role of interest groups across the policy cycle will be based on quantitative and qualitative methods and data. Examples will be drawn from various studies, including interviews with key informants and surveys among interest group representatives, politicians, bureaucrats, journalists, and ordinary citizens.