Institutions, public opinion, and advocacy camps: how interest groups benefit from supportive alignments to gain agenda-setting influence
研究了利益集团在欧盟政策议程中如何通过与制度、公众及其他集团形成支持性联盟来推动其偏好议题或阻止不利议题，发现制度联盟对议程设置影响力最为关键。
Despite the proliferation of studies on interest group influence, there has been limited research on the conditions that facilitate their ability to impact policy agendas. This study investigates the role of supportive alignments in enhancing interest groups’ agenda-setting influence, with a specific focus on the European Union. We argue that organisations aligning closely with institutional and societal actors are better positioned to push their ‘dream’ issues on the policy agenda while keeping ‘nightmare’ issues off. To assess this argument, we rely on a novel dataset comprising 301 mobilised interest groups on 56 specific issues. Our findings underscore the pivotal role of institutional alignments in gaining agenda-setting influence. Moreover, aligning with the public and other interest groups increases the chances of preference attainment. However, it does not lead to a higher likelihood of being perceived as an influential agenda-setter. Overall, our study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of interest group influence, extending insights beyond legislative politics.