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Lobbying and the collective action problem: comparative evidence from enterprise surveys

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Benjamin Barber IV ,
Jan Pierskalla  and
Simon Weschle
Jan Pierskalla
Affiliation:
Political Science, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Simon Weschle
Affiliation:
Political Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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Abstract

Industry lobbying is traditionally thought of as a non-excludable good subject to collective action problems that are most easily solved by concentrated industries. However, there is very little empirical support for this hypothesis. In this paper, we address a major shortcoming of existing work on the topic: Its near-exclusive reliance on data from the US. Using comparative firm-level survey data from up to 74 countries, we construct an industry-level indicator of concentration and test its effect on firms’ lobbying activity. Using multilevel Extreme Bounds Analysis and Bayesian Variable Selection techniques to account for model uncertainty, we find no evidence that industry concentration is a predictor of lobbying activity. We discuss the implications of these non-findings for the literature and outline possible avenues for further research.

Type
Research Articles
Information
Business and Politics , Volume 16 , Issue 2 , August 2014 , pp. 221 - 246
Copyright
Copyright © V.K. Aggarwal 2014 and published under exclusive license to Cambridge University Press 

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