Lobbying and policy reform: Does money buy policies?
Study Board of Political Science, Journalism, Sociology, and European Studies
Teaching language: English
EKA: B380015102
Censorship: Second examiner: None
Grading: 7-point grading scale
Offered in: Odense
Offered in: Autumn
Level: Master
Course ID: B380015101
ECTS value: 10
Date of Approval: 13-03-2018
Duration: 1 semester
Course ID
Course Title
Teaching language
ECTS value
Responsible study board
Date of Approval
Course Responsible
Offered in
Level
Offered in
Duration
Mandatory prerequisites
Recommended prerequisites
General study skills: The course requires active participation in class and presentation skills. Reading of the entire course literature is expected.
Aim and purpose
The course is designed as a problem-oriented introduction to key theories and findings of interest group research in political science, with a focus on the connection between interest groups, the interest group system and policy-output. This literature will be contrasted with findings from related areas such as policy studies and political economy. The question whether money buys policies is particularly relevant today, as a widely held contemporary narrative portrays Western democracies as increasingly ‘oligarchic’, that is, responsive to the interests of the rich which might be the most powerful explanation of the seemingly unstoppable rise of economic inequality. While the concern with oligarchy and its defects goes back to Plato and Aristotle, in today’s world, interest group politics play a key role in this story. Perhaps surprisingly, we will see that while parts of the narrative are well-supported by empirical research, others are much more controversial and, in any case, extremely difficult to demonstrate empirically. The course is structured in four parts.
Based on classical theories of collective action, the first part of the course centers on the mobilization of interests and the interest group agenda. We’ll address the inherent biases of who forms interest groups and what kind of interests tend to be weak or not represented. Mancur Olson’s theories are the central reference point of the debate. Important questions include: Which interests tend to be well-organized and represented? Which issues are on the lobbying agenda and which are missing? We will discuss empirical research on group populations and interest group agendas that tests and partly challenges Olson’s account.
The second part deals with modes of interaction between state and organized interests and key interest group tactics. Interest group systems are commonly assigned to either (neo-)corporatist or pluralist systems. The political dynamics of these types are very different. Neo-corporatism is a mode of policymaking in which negotiations between the state and a few big and centralized interest groups – sometimes known as ‘social partners’ – are central. We will look at how corporatism works, why it exists, and whether it still exists. A lot of research has pointed to the demise of corporatism and the rise of more pluralist modes of interaction, even in the Nordic countries. The alternative mode of interaction, which is also increasingly prevalent in Europe, is pluralism. We will discuss some important findings on pluralist interest group tactics, competition and cooperation between groups, inside vs. outside lobbying etc. What explains different lobbying strategies? Under what conditions do we find lobbying coalitions and how homogenous are they?
The third part, addresses the question of policy influence, arguably the most crucial, but also most difficult issue to analyze systematically. Recent research in American politics has pointed to the disproportionate responsiveness of American democracy to the attitudes of higher income groups. This research will be the starting point to looking more deeply at the potential role of interest groups in policy decision-making, both in the United States and in Europe. The most comprehensive study of lobbying and policy change by Baumgartner et al. has, after all, seriously challenged the ‘money buys policies’ thesis. What can we conclude about the influence of different groups on policy outcomes?
The fourth part of the course, finally, looks at what could be done in terms of lobbying regulation, for example, to address some of the biases of interest group politics. We will also discuss the profession ‘lobbyist’ in Denmark and elsewhere – especially what skills and competences it takes to make it as a professional ‘influencer’ – and I hope to be able to arrange meetings with real-world lobbyists in the add-on activity to this course.
Content
Learning goals
To meet the goal of the course, students at the end of the course should have:
knowledge that enables them to:
•describe different interest organizations, their goals, membership and strategies;
•describe the patterns and political dynamics of different interest group systems, especially differences between corporatist and pluralist systems;
•understand the ways in which interest groups can influence policy-making and the difficulties in achieving that aim;
•understand theories of interest group mobilization, strategy and influence;
•identify different methodological approaches of interest group research and reflect on their comparative strengths and weaknesses;
skills that enable them to:
•reflect critically on the causal links between the system of interest groups and various policy outcomes;
•assess the explanatory power of different theoretical accounts;
•characterize an interest group organization (context, goals, strategies, role in the policy process),
•independently analyze, based on the theories and findings of the course, how interest organizations try to influence policy-making in one or several policy areas and/or countries.
competences that enables them to:
•communicate empirical findings of interest group research,
•independently design a theory-guided analysis of interest group politics.
Literature
Teaching Method
15 sessions (2 hours each).
Interactive lectures.
Each session will be based on lectures, group work and class discussions.
Students will participate in class discussions, based on the assigned readings.
Workload
Face-to-face lectures30
Preparation for lectures118
Writing of essay115
Add-on (to be specified)
7
Total
270
Examination regulations
Exam
Name
Exam
Timing
Ordinary examination in January and re-exam in February.
Rules
-3 is not allowed
Tests
Seminar paper
Name
Seminar paper
Form of examination
Project report
Censorship
Second examiner: None
Grading
7-point grading scale
Identification
Student Identification Card - Exam number
Language
Danish, English
Length
The paper must be maximum 15 pages (each with 2400 strokes incl. spaces)
Assignment handin
Via SDU-assignment in the course in Blackboard.
ECTS value
10
Additional information
Seminar paper on an individual topic – to be discussed with the course instructor –and written at home.
Language: Danish or English
Further information regarding the format of the seminar paper: https://fagbesk.sam.sdu.dk/?fag_id=39880
EKA
B380015102
External comment
The student is automatically registered for the first examination attempt when the student is registered for a course or course element with which one or more examinations are associated. Withdrawal of registration is not possible, and students who fail to participate in an examination have used one examination attempt, unless the University has made an exemption due to special circumstances.
If a student does not meet the established university prerequisites for taking the exam, he or she has used one examination attempt, unless the University has made an exemption due to special circumstances.
Courses offered
| Offer period | Offer type | Profile | Education | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2018 | Optional | Sidefag på kandidatniveau i Samfundsfag, gældende fra og med 2015 | Master of Science (MSc) in Social Sciences | Odense | |
| Fall 2018 | Optional | Sidefag på kandidatniveau i Samfundsfag, gældende fra og med 2018 | Master of Science (MSc) in Social Sciences | Odense | |
| Fall 2018 | Optional | Studieordning for kandidatuddannelsen i statskundskab gældende for studerende optaget efter 1/9-15 | Master of Science (MSc) in Political Science | Odense | |
| Fall 2018 | Optional | Sidefag på kandidatniveau i Samfundsfag, gældende fra og med 2018 | Master of Science (MSc) in Social Sciences | Odense | |
| Fall 2018 | Optional | Studieordning for kandidatuddannelsen i samfundsfag, centralfag, 2018, ved et sidefag på 75 ECTS: | Master of Science (MSc) in Social Sciences | Odense | |
| Fall 2018 | Optional | Studieordning for kandidatuddannelsen i samfundsfag, centralfag, 2018, ved et sidefag på 45 ECTS, for studerende der har haft Economic Principles (soc) eller tilsvarende på deres bacheloruddannelse | Master of Science (MSc) in Social Sciences | Odense | |
| Fall 2018 | Optional | Studieordning for kandidatuddannelsen i samfundsfag, centralfag, 2018, ved et sidefag på 75 ECTS, for studerende der har haft Economic Principles (soc) eller tilsvarende på deres bacheloruddannelse | Master of Science (MSc) in Social Sciences | Odense | |
| Fall 2018 | Optional | Studieordning for kandidatuddannelsen i samfundsfag, centralfag, 2018, ved et sidefag på 45 ECTS | Master of Science (MSc) in Social Sciences | Odense | |
| Fall 2018 | Optional | Master of Social Sciences in Comparative Public Policy and Welfare Studies valid from September 2016 | Comparative Public and Welfare Studies | Master of Science (MSc) in Comparative Public Policy and Welfare Studies | Odense |