Publication
Title
The paradox of collective action : linking interest aggregation and interest articulation in EU legislative lobbying
Author
Abstract
Olson's logic of collective action predicts that business interest associations face fewer collective action problems than citizen action groups. This article challenges this assumption by arguing that forming an organization comes with different collective action problems than voicing a joint policy position. This leads us to examine an important paradox: Citizen groups face challenges in establishing themselves as organizations but find it relatively easy to position themselves on policy issues, whereas the reverse is true for business associations. We study this paradox empirically based on interviews with spokespersons of interest organizations active in the European Union and find support for our hypotheses. Our findings demonstrate that citizen groups position themselves on policy issues more easily than business interests and that this competitive advantage is amplified when policy issues attract the attention of the media.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Governance: an international journal of policy and administration. - Oxford
Publication
Oxford : 2019
ISSN
0952-1895 [print]
1468-0491 [online]
DOI
10.1111/GOVE.12373
Volume/pages
32 :2 (2019) , p. 295-312
ISI
000462670000006
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Law 
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 07.02.2019
Last edited 02.10.2024
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