Balancing gains and hazards: Interest groups in electoral politics

Abstract

Interest groups work to influence politics. Come election time, groups have an interest in affecting the composition of parliament and government. On their side, parties value the resources groups can contribute to election campaigns. Active electioneering by groups entails risks, however, as some voters and group members may be offended by close interaction between political parties and interest groups. Based on a cost-benefit framework, this article develops a set of expectations concerning the electoral engagement of interest groups. These are investigated drawing on a survey of all national Danish interest groups conducted after the 2011 national election. Most groups see the election as important, but the level of active electioneering is low. The analysis of variation in election involvement contrasts partisan and non-partisan engagement in the election and finds variation in the level and nature of engagement between different types of groups.