Beyond the usual suspects: interest groups in the Global South

Abstract

Understanding interest group systems is crucial to understanding the functioning of advanced democracies, but less is known about its relevance in developing and nascent democracies. While advocacy studies in the Global North have exploded since the late 1990s, exploration of organized interest activities in the Global South remains a niche topic, impeding comparative analysis. In this introductory essay— and in this special issue—we make a case for why investigating lobbying in the Global South can improve theoretical and empirical understandings of advocacy processes and make our work more relevant for contemporary policy questions. We also provide tips for how to best engage with the unique challenges of lobbying in Southern policymaking settings and processes. Drawing on the findings from the special issue, the essay concludes by presenting a contemporary research agenda for interest group scholars which identifies where synergies already exist and where South–South and North–South comparative case studies can be built. In so doing, we promote a mutually beneficial dialogue which tables existing research con‑ tributions and gaps in each region as opportunities for communal discussion and learning.

Publication DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41309-023-00187-2
Divisions: College of Business and Social Sciences > School of Social Sciences & Humanities
College of Business and Social Sciences > School of Social Sciences & Humanities > Politics, History and International Relations
College of Business and Social Sciences > School of Social Sciences & Humanities > Aston Centre for Europe
Additional Information: Copyright © The Author(s) 2023, under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited. This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review and is subject to Springer Nature’s AM terms of use [https://www.springernature.com/gp/open-research/policies/accepted-manuscript-terms], but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41309-023-00187-2
Uncontrolled Keywords: Advocacy,Global North,Global South,Interest groups,Lobbying,Sociology and Political Science
Publication ISSN: 2047-7422
Last Modified: 27 Mar 2024 18:50
Date Deposited: 25 Apr 2023 14:41
Full Text Link:
Related URLs: http://www.scop ... tnerID=8YFLogxK (Scopus URL)
https://link.sp ... 309-023-00187-2 (Publisher URL)
PURE Output Type: Article
Published Date: 2023-06
Published Online Date: 2023-03-23
Accepted Date: 2023-03-07
Submitted Date: 2022
Authors: Rozbicka, Patrycja (ORCID Profile 0000-0003-0092-955X)
Mahrenbach, Laura

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