Role of Organized Interest Groups in Policy Making

KONSTANTIN BALTZ University of Konstanz, GermanyCARL-JOHAN BELFRAGE Lund University, SwedenMORTEN BENNEDSEN Copenhagen Business School, CEBR and CIE, DenmarkDANIEL BROU - MICHELE RUTA Columbia University, New York, USALUCA DE BENEDICTIS Macerata University, ItalyDANIELA FEDERICI Cassino University, ItalyEMMA GALLI Rome University 'La Sapienza', ItalyJULIEN A. HANOTEAU Groupe d'Economie Mondiale, Institut d'Etudes Politiques, Paris, FranceISABELLA IMPERATO Ministero dell'Economia e delle Finanze, Rome, ItalySTEFANO MANZOCCHI Perugia University, ItalyWOLFGANG MAYER University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USASUDESH MUJUMDAR University of Southern Indiana, Evansville, Indiana, USAPIER CARLO PADOAN IMF, Washington and Rome University 'La Sapienza', ItalyPAOLA PROFETA Pavia University and Bocconi University of Milan, ItalyRICCARDO PUGSLI London School of Economics and Pavia University, ItalyROBERTO RICCIUTI Siena University, ItalyFREDERIC ROBERT-NICOUD Genoa University, ItalyFRIEDRICH SCHNEIDER Johannes Kepler University of Linz, AustriaGERALD SCHNEIDER University of Konstanz, GermanyCECILIA TESTA Royal Holloway University of London, UKHEINRICH W. URSPRUNG University of Konstanz, Germany

• Introduction; D.Di Gioacchino, S.Ginebri & L.Sabani PART I: PRE-ELECTION POLITICS Lobbying and Political Polarization; H.W.Ursprung Comment; F.Schneider Vote Buying Through Resource Allocation in a Government Controlled Sector; M.Bennedsen Comment; R.Puglisi The Political Power of the Owners of Public Debt; D.Di Gioacchino, S.Ginebri & L.Sabani Comment; P.C.Padoan PART II: POST-ELECTION POLITICS Endogenous Lobbying in Search of Import Protection; W.Mayer & S.Mujumdar Comment; F.Robert-Nicoud Ageing and Lobbying: Implications for Social Security; P.Profeta Comment; C.Testa Lobbying, Bargaining and EU Enlargement; D.Brou & M.Ruta Comment; S.Manzocchi Trade Policy with Intermediate Uses of Goods; C-J.Belfrage Comment; L.De Benedictis PART III: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE ON LOBBYING The Power of Specialization: How Interest Groups Influence EU Legislation; G.Schneider & K.Baltz Comment; I.Imperato Lobbying for Emissions Allowances: A New Perspective on the Political Economy of the US Acid Rain Program; J.A.Hanoteau Comment; D.Federici Trading Interests: Legislature Size, Constituency Size and Government Spending in a Panel of Countries; R.Ricciuti Comment; E.Galli