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77764-01 - Seminar: The Impact of Lobbying: How Business and Civil Society Shape Public Policy (3 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2025 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Oliver Huwyler (oliver.huwyler@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | This seminar introduces students to the role of interest organisations – such as NGOs, trade unions, business associations, and firms – in shaping public policy within democratic systems. The course adopts a dual lens: on the one hand, it familiarises participants with the central debates in the lobbying literature; on the other, it equips them with methodological skills to trace and assess the political involvement and impact of interest organisations. Over the course of the seminar, students will learn about the multiple roles and functions of interest organisations in democratic societies, the challenges of mobilising interests, the strategies through which lobbyists seek access to policymakers – whom they target, and when, and for what purpose – and how these dynamics relate to lobbying influence and success. The seminar also draws on recent advances in lobbying disclosure and transparency regulations across various countries, which have significantly expanded the possibilities for studying lobbying practices and outcomes. In the hands-on sessions of the seminar, students will work directly in R with relevant lobbying data sources. They will acquire practical skills in data collection, including web scraping and online surveys, as well as preparing datasets and applying analytical techniques to investigate the behaviour of lobbyists and interest organisations and their impact on policymakers. |
| Learning objectives | - Understand and critically engage with key debates on the functions, roles, strategies, and influence of interest organisations in democratic politics. - Acquire practical research skills in collecting, managing, and analysing lobbying data using R. |
| Bibliography | Coen, D. and A. Katsaitis (2024). Handbook on Lobbying and Public Policy. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. Dür, A. and G. Mateo (2016). Insiders versus Outsiders: Interest Group Politics in Multilevel Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Giger, N. and H. Klüver (2016), “Voting Against Your Constituents? How Lobbying Affects Representation”, American Journal of Political Science, 60(1), 190-205, doi: 10.1111/ajps.12183 Huwyler, O., Turner-Zwinkels, T., and S. Bailer (2023) “No Representation Without Compensation: The Effect of Interest Groups on Legislators’ Policy Area Focus”, Political Research Quarterly, 76(3), 1388-1402, doi: 10.1177/10659129221137035 Schoenefeld, J.J. (2021). “Interest Groups, NGOs or Civil Society Organisations? The Framing of Non-State Actors in the EU”, Voluntas, 32(3), 585–596, doi: 10.1007/s11266-020-00283-w |
| Comments | The course is limited to a maximum of 25 participants. Admission requires successful completion of Introduction to Quantitative Methods, as basic familiarity with R is expected. Please note that for the hands-on parts of this course, students are required to bring their own laptop. In the event of overbooking, priority will be given to students of political science. If further selection is necessary, places will be allocated based on the date of registration. |
| Admission requirements | The course is limited to a maximum of 25 participants. Admission requires successful completion of Introduction to Quantitative Methods, as basic familiarity with R is expected. Please note that for the hands-on parts of this course, students are required to bring their own laptop. In the event of overbooking, priority will be given to students of political science. If further selection is necessary, places will be allocated based on the date of registration. |
| Course application | Introduction to the seminar will be on Friday, 03.10.2025 Time: 10:15–11:45 Place: Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminar Room 02.004 |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Block | See individual dates | ||
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 03.10.2025 | 10.15-11.45 | Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004 |
| Saturday 08.11.2025 | 10.15-16.30 | Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004 |
| Saturday 15.11.2025 | 10.15-16.30 | Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004 |
| Saturday 22.11.2025 | 10.15-16.30 | ITS Wartung Netz |
| Saturday 29.11.2025 | 10.15-16.30 | Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004 |
| Friday 12.12.2025 | 10.15-11.45 | Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004 |
| Modules |
Modul: Erweiterung Gesellschaftswissenschaften M.A. (Master's degree subject: Political Science) Modul: Regionaler Fokus M.A. (Master's degree subject: Political Science) Modul: Vertiefung Politikwissenschaft M.A. (Master's degree subject: Political Science) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | continuous assessment: - Preparation of a research design that is aligned with the topics of the seminar. - Carrying out the research design and presenting the findings in a written report. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | 1-6 0,5 |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Politikwissenschaft |