What explains variation across national interest groups in their amount of lobbying on legislative proposals in the European Union (EU)? We present an argument that leads to the expectation that resource-rich associations engage in more lobbying on EU legislation than other associations....

Why did the European Union (EU) attempt yet fail to reform its anti-dumping legislation between 2006 and 2008? We analyse this attempt to reform a legislative act regulating interest groups' access to public decision-makers by relying on collective action and principal – agent theory. Contrary...

The institutions of the European Union are gaining more and more power at the expense of national and local governments, as well as individuals and private businesses. There would appear to be no reverse gear in this process, while objections from the general public, as expressed in periodic...

Interest groups tied to other organizations by embedded, as opposed to arm’s length, ties are more likely both to participate and be leaders in coalitions. Specifically, I argue that an organization with a superior position in the policy domain network will participate in more coalitions, and...

Parties value unity, yet, members of parliament face competing demands, giving them incentives to deviate from the party line. For members of the European Parliament (MEPs), these competing demands are national party and European party group pressures. Here, we look at how MEPs respond to those...

In 2011 and 2012, 31 countries and the European Union (EU) signed the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), which envisages stricter standards for the transnational enforcement of intellectual property rights. Despite strong support for the agreement from business groups, the anti-ACTA...

Lobbying is widespread in the European Union (EU). As of June 2013, no fewer than 5,703 interest representatives have signed up to the EU's transparency register. A large majority of these groups represent business interests. But how e ective is business lobbying in the EU? When does business...