Volume 50, January 2015, Pages 228–235
Highlights
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- Interest groups cope differently with MLG, depending on organizational structure.
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- Forest-related interest groups are in a reconfiguration process.
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- Forest-related interest groups act surprisingly little strategically in MLG systems.
Abstract
Multi-level
governance theory states that interest groups play an important role in
decision-making processes. However, the implications of the assumed
trend from government to multi-level forest governance for interest
groups have not been sufficiently examined. This paper examines the case
of German forest politics and studies the effects of the trend towards
multi-level governance for forest-related interest groups. The empirical
analysis implies that interest groups are in an organizational and/or
strategic reconfiguration process in response to changes of the overall
governance structure. Different coping strategies among interest groups
organized on multiple levels, and interest groups organized on a single
organizational level are observed. Many interest groups feel overwhelmed
in their attempt to understand and observe every level of action at the
same time. Inequalities between the ability of different interest
groups to influence decision-making might be reinforced by the trend
towards a multi-level governance structure.
Keywords
- Environmental groups;
- Lobbying;
- Non-governmental organization;
- Participation
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