Many citizens, politicians, and political activists voice concern about the political influence of business in the European Union (EU). But do business interests really pull the strings in Brussels? Contrary to expectations, this book shows that business is no more influential than other interests in shaping contemporary EU policies. Andreas Dur, David Marshall, and Patrick Bernhagen present an original argument that stresses the role of public actors in facilitating or impeding interest groups' lobbying success. Novel data on a large number of legislative proposals on the EU's agenda, and three case studies present strong support for this argument. In this process, The Political Influence of Business in the European Union offers new insights into how lobbying success depends on the demand and supply of information as well as new ideas on how to measure lobbying success. The book advances a fresh perspective on the question of business power and on why business interests often lose in the policy struggle.

About the Author
Andreas Dur is Professor of International Politics at the University of Salzburg.

David Marshall is Lecturer in Comparative Politics at the University of Reading.

Patrick Bernhagen is Professor of Comparative Politics at the University of Stuttgart.

Reviews
The authors offer a compelling argument about what 'lobbying success' actually is. Organized interests' success should be judged relative to their own original preferences, not simply whether others collectively succeeded in changing or defending the status quo. They support this argument with innovative empirical analyses of interest group activity in Brussels. This will be an essential title for anybody interested in lobbying in the EU and beyond."" - Tim LaPira, James Madison University



Book Information
ISBN 9780472131181
Author Andreas Dur
Format Hardback
Page Count 220
Imprint The University of Michigan Press
Publisher The University of Michigan Press
Weight(grams) 473g