session 5 Flashcards
EU lobbying/big business power
how does salience play a role in the power of big business in the EU?
On salient issues, more diverse coalitions have significantly higher preference attainment than less diverse coalitions. On issues with low salience, however, coalition diversity is associated negatively with lobbying success, suggesting that internal cooperation costs outweigh the benefits of diversity
what are 4 types of power that businesses have?
infra-structural power from their role for economic stability and growth; institutional power from their entrenched position in public services; platform power from close connection with their users; discursive/narrative power from their ability to shape public understanding of policy issues and their role in solving them
why might lobbying be as successful as one may think?
business have a repertoire of powers than just their ‘instrumental business power’, i.e. their direct attempts to influence policymaking through lobbying policymakers; also, businesses aren’t always united so if business elites lobby in different directions, their lobbying efforts may cancel out
what is astroturfing?
Astroturfing is the attempt to create an impression of widespread grassroots support for a policy, individual, or product, where little such support exists
why do some say big business interests matter in the EU?
there is a fundamental asymmetry that privileges interests of specific social groups over others in the EU, and the intimate intertwining of business interests and actors in European integration is structural, not incidental
why do some say big business influence is diminishing?
the political system of the EU has evolved to place constraints over the domination of policymaking by 1 institution or section of society. as well as this, lobbying gives a non-partisan way for societal interests to be heard and legitimize policy decisions. it also can actually expose abuses of the system, including those by big business
what are the two main viewpoints for big business having power versus not having power in the EU?
business influence is high: EU policies continue to reflect the demands of organized capital
business influence is low: EU institutions often align with non-corporate, anti-business NGOs
