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Interest Group Access

The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Interest Groups, Lobbying and Public Affairs

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Definition

Access to key decision-makers is central for any actor trying to influence politics. Without access, it is difficult for organized groups to advance their viewpoints and influence political decisions. While the study of influence is notoriously difficult due to its conceptual and methodological challenges, the study of access is a more accessible research field. Studying interest group access is thus essentially important as well as empirically feasible for evaluating the political role of interest groups.

Although scholars have defined access in slightly different ways, a definition emphasizing the role of gatekeepers is commonly accepted. Access can thus be defined as instances where an interest group (or another political actor) has successfully entered a political arena such as parliament, the administration, or the news media passing a threshold controlled by a relevant gatekeeper, e.g., politicians or civil servants (Binderkrantz & Pedersen 2017: 310).

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References

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  • Binderkrantz, A. S., & Pedersen, H. H. (2017). What is access? A discussion of the definition and measurement of interest group access. European Political Science, 16, 306–321.

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Further Reading

  • Binderkrantz, A. S., & Pedersen, H. H. (2017). What is access? A discussion of the definition and measurement of interest group access. European Political Science, 16, 306–321.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Halpin, D., & Fraussen, B. (2017). Conceptualising the policy engagement of interest groups: Involvement, access and prominence. European Journal of Political Research, 56, 723–732.

    Article  Google Scholar 

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Political Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark

    Anne Binderkrantz Skorkjær & Helene Helboe Pedersen

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  1. Anne Binderkrantz Skorkjær
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  2. Helene Helboe Pedersen
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Correspondence to Anne Binderkrantz Skorkjær .

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Binderkrantz Skorkjær, A., Pedersen, H.H. (2020). Interest Group Access. In: The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Interest Groups, Lobbying and Public Affairs . Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13895-0_30-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13895-0_30-1

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-13895-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-13895-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Political Science and International StudiesReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Interest Group Access
    Published:
    11 June 2020

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13895-0_30-2

  2. Original

    Interest Group Access
    Published:
    12 November 2019

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13895-0_30-1

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