Recent political science literature on interest groups focuses mainly on EU politics, the USA or single states within the European Union. Other regions have not been researched as intensely, which is why it is a very challenging and, in return, yielding enterprise to do so. This paper will explore the methods Argentine trade federations and business associations can make use of when trying to influence national policies. The research is focused on the years between 2003 and 2010. I will tackle the research question by scrutinizing three central categories: the stakeholders in the political process, their options for actions and, at last, the general orientations or underlying preferences in a group’s behaviour. The data are taken from a qualitative case study, drawing on in-depth interviews with key figures, media coverage and official statements made by interest groups and the state. The analysis is meant to convey what specific challenges and opportunities these conventional interest groups have within the margins of the Argentine case, opening the debate on the differences to be observed in comparison to those cases that have been scrutinized in more depth. By focusing on a case that diverges from the European, I hope to show the importance on context-sensitive research in the future, and to underline once more the specific context of the European case.
