Neopluralismo “a la chilena”. Grupos de interés en el proceso legislativo

Abstract

This paper examines the characteristics of interest group representation in Chile through an analysis of the participation of interest groups in the legislative process (2006-2014). We argue that the Chilean system could be qualified as a “semi-neopluralism” or as “neopluralism a la chilena.” We show, first, that there is participation from different types of groups, although at the same time we observe an unbalanced representation in favour of business interests. Second, the level of participation is low, even though it is higher when economic bills are discussed. Therefore, there is scarce competition among groups. Third, the evidence indicates that IG participation is highly specialized, but in a context where most groups participated only once during the period covered by this study.