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Leading the Dance? Power and Political Resources of Business Lobbyists

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  • WOLL, CORNELIA

Abstract

Studies of lobbying try to determine the influence and power of non-governmental actors on public policy. Although influence is very difficult to measure empirically, many continue to push for better research design to solve the problem. Through case studies of business-government relations in the United States and the European Union, this article argues that the difficulties with power and influence concern not only their operationalisation, but they also reflect conceptual confusions. Trying to determine the ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ of a policy issue can be misleading, since power also structures apparently harmonious exchange relationships. The perceived success of business lobbying in the cases studied depended on the governments' receptiveness to their demands, which in turn depended on strategic advantages they saw for themselves in international negotiations. Even when business appears to lead the dance, it is more promising to look at resource distribution and the interdependence of both sides, instead of assuming the domination of business power over policy outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Woll, Cornelia, 2007. "Leading the Dance? Power and Political Resources of Business Lobbyists," Journal of Public Policy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 27(1), pages 57-78, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jnlpup:v:27:y:2007:i:01:p:57-78_00
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Coban, Mehmet Kerem, 2019. "Compliance forces, domestic policy process, and international regulatory standards: Compliance with Basel III," OSF Preprints x32nw, Center for Open Science.
    2. Cornelia Woll & Sophie Jacquot, 2010. "Using Europe: Strategic Action in Multi-Level Politics," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-01023857, HAL.
    3. Moe, Signe Louise, 2021. "Governing production, shaping legislation? Apparel and automotive sector governance and firm representation in European Commission Expert Groups," ÖFSE-Forum, Austrian Foundation for Development Research (ÖFSE), volume 77, number 77.
    4. Fernando M. M. Ruiz & Florent Hainaut & Nathalie Schiffino, 2016. "The lobbies’ network at the EU policy level: the case of security and defense," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(6), pages 774-793, November.
    5. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/f5vtl5h9a73d5ls976m1ga289 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Heike Klüver, 2009. "Measuring Interest Group Influence Using Quantitative Text Analysis," European Union Politics, , vol. 10(4), pages 535-549, December.
    7. James Duggan & Michelle O’Sullivan & Maeve O’Sullivan, 2023. "Essential or excluded? Union pressures and state responses to platform work in three liberal market economies," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 29(4), pages 491-505, November.
    8. Kostas Kourtikakis & Ekaterina Turkina & Evgeny Postnikov, 2021. "The Structure of Coordination: Transatlantic Policy Networks and the Mobilization of Business and Civil Society," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(3), pages 679-696, May.
    9. Kevin Young, 2013. "Financial industry groups' adaptation to the post‐crisis regulatory environment: Changing approaches to the policy cycle," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 7(4), pages 460-480, December.
    10. Heike Klüver, 2011. "The contextual nature of lobbying: Explaining lobbying success in the European Union," European Union Politics, , vol. 12(4), pages 483-506, December.
    11. Wolfe, Robert, 2007. "Harvesting Public Policy? Private Influence on Agricultural Trade Policy in Canada," Working Papers 7339, Canadian Agricultural Trade Policy Research Network.
    12. Nicolo' Conti & Bruno Marino & Vincenzo Memoli, 2021. "Business Elites and European Integration: Really a Honeymoon Story?," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(6), pages 1400-1418, November.
    13. Arielle Badger Newman & Jay B. Barney, 2024. "Entrepreneurial Political Action in the Informal Economy: The Case of the Kumasi Petty Traders," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 48(1), pages 3-34, January.
    14. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/f5vtl5h9a73d5ls976m1ga289 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Massaro, Maria, 2019. "Is business lobbying in the European Union context-dependent? Evidence from the policy field of radio spectrum," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(10).
    16. Galia J. Benítez, 2018. "Business Lobbying: Mapping Policy Networks in Brazil in Mercosur," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 7(10), pages 1-30, October.
    17. repec:spo:wpecon:info:hdl:2441/f5vtl5h9a73d5ls976m1ga289 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. von Malmborg, Fredrik, 2022. "Theorising member state lobbying on European Union policy on energy efficiency," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    19. Gary J Fooks & Anna B Gilmore, 2013. "Corporate Philanthropy, Political Influence, and Health Policy," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(11), pages 1-11, November.
    20. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/f5vtl5h9a73d5ls976m1ga289 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Cornelia Woll & Sophie Jacquot, 2010. "Using Europe: Strategic Action in Multi-Level Politics," Post-Print hal-01023857, HAL.

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