Analysing interest groups and voluntary associations in the policy processes

The literature on interest groups and voluntary associations’ participation in policy processer is rather fragmented and most often focusing on a limited number of variables. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the development of a more comprehensive analytical framework for the study of how interest groups and voluntary associations’ try, and manage, to influence public policies. How are interest groups and voluntary organizations activated in public policy processes? To what degree do they get access to and participate in the process? What influence do they get in the making and implementation of public policies? Hopefully, the analytical framework will enable researchers to make more thoroughly thought through selections of variables for both comparative and single case studies. The framework will include and discuss various interrelated dimensions and subdimensions such as: Political system: Concentration of public and private power; executive-legislative relations (presidential vs. parliamentarian, type of parliaments and governments). Policy process: Stages in the policy cycle; decision streams; sector policies. Actors and interactions: Public authorities (elected bodies, civil service, level of government); media (traditional, social media, party press); political parties (government – opposition, relationship with interest groups/voluntary associations); Interest groups/voluntary associations: Attributes (membership, field of operation; goals, purpose); resources (number of members, financial resources, expertise); political strategies (mobilize members, media, lobby parliament or civil service, corporatist representation, framing/arguing) Political impact: Influence (on actions and activities (of MPs, civil service etc.); final decision of policy); consequences (public authorities get access to information, legitimation, specialist interest and strong groups get too much influence).