“When we first reviewed the literature on lobbying, we quickly realized that there was more than one definition of lobbying and that these different definitions can be grouped into two main visions of lobbying. Our main objective in our paper was to empirically test this central theoretical distinction between well-connected generalist lobbyists that specialize in navigating the political process and issue specialist lobbyists that specialize in a specific policy sector and provide substantive expertise to policymakers.” – the third episode of our PSR 140-sec short podcast series by Maxime Boucher. The author speaks about the article: Consultant Lobbyists and Public Officials: Selling Policy Expertise or Personal Connections in Canada? by Maxime Boucher and Christopher A Cooper.
Maxime Boucher – his research focuses on two complementary aspects of lobbying and corporate political activities. By making use of “big data” sources such as the lobbying registry, it shows how Canadian political institutions affect the relations between organized interests and policy-makers. He is also interested in the regulation of lobbying and other forms of corporate political activities in North America and Europe. His research on the topic shows how lobbying regulation affects the state of corporate political rights in contemporary democracies.
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Dr Eliza Kania, Brunel University London