Representation Bias: Interest Groups-Elites Integration in the Legislative Arena

Abstract

This panel includes papers that in various ways examine the connections between interest groups and political elites, and the consequences of interest groups-elite integration for representation bias. Specifically, the papers aim to understand how backgrounds in interest groups affect parliamentarians’ behaviour in terms of participation in legislative debates (Swiss Parliament), promoting bills (Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies) and assignment to parliamentary committees (German Bundestag), and conversely, how the social backgrounds of lobbyists may affect access to parliamentarians (European Parliament), as well as the interconnected career trajectories of elites in civil society.

Title	Details
How do Affiliations to External Interests Affect Parliamentarians’ Assignment to Committees in the German Bundestag?	View Paper Details
Interest groups as ventriloquists or how they affect parliamentarians’ speeches during policy debates	View Paper Details
Civil Society Elite Career Trajectories	View Paper Details
Access Allowed: The Role of Socio-Demographic Characteristics in Interest Group Access to the European Parliament	View Paper Details