Stakeholder consultations and interest groups’ policy access: truly legitimacy enhancing or just pretty on paper?

Abstract

Key questions in our field concern whether and to what extent institutional set-ups and procedures such as consultation practices and transparency measures aimed at leveling the playing field for interest intermediation effectively increase the legitimacy (input, throughput, output) of political decision-making across multiple levels of governance. Specifically, what scope conditions shape the design, use, and impact of stakeholder consultations? How does the nature of interest group policy access affects policy efficiency and bias in representation? In other words, to what extent and when is the involvement of interest groups and other stakeholders in political decision-making (perceived as) more than just pretty on paper? This panel addresses these important questions from normative and/or empirical perspectives.

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