Informational demand across the globe: toward a comparative understanding of information exchange

Abstract

This study examines the information demands of decision-makers from across the globe in their exchanges with interest organizations. It proposes two explanatory factors that drive these information demands: democracy and development. We argue that decision-makers’ information demands vary depending on whether they hail from developed countries or developing countries, as well as the extent to which their political systems are democratically accountable. We test our expectations based on interviews with 297 decision-makers from 107 different countries who were active during transnational trade and climate change negotiations. Our findings demonstrate that decision-makers from less developed countries exhibit a higher preference for interactions with organizations that provide them with technical information. Decision-makers from democratically accountable countries, by contrast, tend to place relatively greater value on political information provided by interest groups.

Reaching out to affluent interest groups? Assessing the moderating role of membership influence across old and new democracies

“…Through the need to strike internal compromises, the organizational leadership gains a better understanding of all members' viewpoints, experiences, and grievances (Bolleyer & Correa, 2020). This helps them to truly “speak on behalf” of constituents and legitimately claim member support (Hanegraaff & De Bruycker, 2020). Groups with an influential member’s base are thus better equipped to signal to policymakers what their constituents want and how they could benefit from a policy (Flöthe, 2019a).…”

“…Interest representation is often conceptualized as an exchange process (Berkhout, 2013; Bouwen, 2002). This perspective suggests that interest groups' access to political arenas is a function of their organizational capacity to meet policymakers' demand for relevant policy goods (Braun, 2012; Hanegraaff & De Bruycker, 2020). To date, interest group scholarship has primarily departed from interest groups' side of the exchange relationship focusing on how lobbyists actively seek access by offering policymakers their privately‐held goods (De Bruycker, 2016).…”

“…This is important as it can lead to crucial insights into the reciprocity of exchange relations (Lucas et al., 2019). Interest groups may have various policy goods at their disposal but may never be contacted by policymakers if the latter do not value these goods (Hanegraaff & De Bruycker, 2020). Turning to policymakers' side of the exchange process is thus imperative to deepen our understanding of which interests are allowed to voice their concerns in policy processes.…”

Enemies or allies? How NGOs can push the military towards transparency around the use of force

“…38 Such exchange models have been used to explain interactions between (international) NGOs and international organisations. 39 NGOs' access to decision-makers therefore depends on them being able to prove themselves as reliable and credible providers of information.…”

External influence on parliamentarians in Kenya

“…He theorises that they use news as a proxy for public opinion, to secure information on issues and to understand the agenda and framing of other politicians. Hanegraaff and de Bruycker (2020) explain that politicians seek information on the nature and scope of societal support for important issues-and thus this makes the media an important conduit.…”