Resource Exchange Revisited: Mapping Interest Group Influence Across Multiple Arenas

To what extent, and why, are interest groups successful in securing influence across multiple arenas? This paper investigates this question in the Norwegian interest group setting by combining data from 2019–2023 on public consultations, policy outcomes, state funding recipients, and survey data on perceived influence and group characteristics. By tracking each interest group's activities and success across these arenas, we evaluate their influence and assess whether resource exchange with authorities – such as trading information and legitimacy for funding, access, and lobbying success – plays a significant role. Our preliminary analysis suggests that such patterns are particularly prevalent among privileged interest groups with substantial resources. Using recently available register data on state-level public funding for civil society organizations, we explore how receiving funding serves as both an indicator of organizational influence and a mechanism securing survival and resources for further advocacy efforts. While some forms of state funding may limit organizational autonomy, they can simultaneously expand the capacity for influence in policymaking processes and outcomes. By combining diverse data sources and adopting a comprehensive approach to interest group influence, we contribute to the existing literature in different ways.