Organised Civil Society in the EU Multi-Level Polity: Political Strategies and Influence

Abstract

All interest organizations aim to seek attention for their political views, but different organizations and different political systems produce varying forms of political strategies. Strategies vary on different dimensions. Groups, first of all, must select the policy issues to which they will pay attention. Having decided on the issues to be lobbied, interest groups can target multiple institutions (executive, judicial, legislative) on different territorial levels (national, European, or international) employing different modes of mobilization (inside or outside lobbying). Finally, groups can “go it alone” or enter coalitions with other actors (parties, other interest groups). When approaching public actors, interest groups may mobilize different kinds of information. The aim of this panel is to present papers which present theory-guided empirical analyses on the varying nature of political strategies adopted by interest groups both within European countries and at the EU-level. We are especially interested in papers that take into account the lobbying of different venues at different territorial levels, as well as the different kinds of information employed by groups in their influence seeking efforts.

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