Assessing the Composition and Diversity of the Australian Interest Group System

Bert Fraussen, Darren Halpin

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    27 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Any democratic society requires mechanisms for citizens to have effective political voice. Clearly, political parties provide a key channel for expressing views and preferences. However, organised interests provide another important mechanism for such representation. A crucial question in this regard is whether the interest group system is capable of ensuring the representation of a variety of public and private interests. Resolving these debates requires data that map the terrain and also are attentive to organisational diversity. This article takes up this challenge through exploring the composition and diversity of the Australian system of organised interests, using a new data set based on the Directory of Australian Associations. This system-level approach delivers important insights into the nature of the Australian interest group system, as well as provides a framework for subsequent work interpreting and contextualising advocacy activities of particular groups, or lobbying dynamics in specific policy domains.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)476-491
    Number of pages16
    JournalAustralian Journal of Public Administration
    Volume75
    Issue number4
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2016

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