Behind Closed Doors: What Do Parties Talk to Interest Groups About?

Recent studies have shed new light on the magnitude of interactions between parties and interest groups, but we still know relatively little about the content of these interactions. In this paper, we take a closer look at what interest groups and parties discuss during their interactions. By utilizing a novel survey question from the PAIRDEM party surveys that asks parties in 19 countries about the content of their interactions with interest groups, we can examine various features of variation, including party systems, party power, and party families, as well as interest group strategies for policy influence. What are the most common types of interactions? Does the content of party-group contact and meetings vary by political resources and political context? By answering these questions, we provide important nuance to the literature on parties and interest groups. Preliminary results show that the most common form of interaction, from the party perspective, is obtaining facts concerning policies and problems, although different forms of information sharing are also frequent.