Private Business Lobbying in Norway
In his contribution to a recently published anthology on economic elites in Europe, Trygve Gulbrandsen presents an analysis of lobbying activities by Norwegian business leaders.
- In spite of their opposition to state intervention, business leaders actively lobby for public subsidies or regulations giving themselves favourable market conditions or protection, says Gulbrandsen.
Variations among elite groups
Regulations provide the basic framework for commercial activities, and consequently business leaders frequently engage in lobbying activities to ensure favourable regulations. The scope and methods of lobbying efforts, however, vary significantly among different sub-groups.
Gulbrandsen’s analysis draws on the Norwegian Leadership Study, containing responses from more than 1 700 leaders in twelve different sectors and branches. The survey identifies important variations in lobbying activities among Norwegian business leaders.
An “inner circle”?
The majority of business leaders generally engage in lobbying efforts to promote their interests on specific policy issues. However, Gulbrandsen identifies an “inner circle” of well-connected leaders pursuing a different lobbying strategy.
The “inner circle” group consists of business leaders with posts at several boards of directors or interest groups. In contrast to the single-issue approach by other leaders, members of the inner circle engage in broader lobbying efforts and maintain close contact with top-politicians and high-level bureaucrats over time.
Business owners
The study also examines whether business owners apply different lobbying strategies than employed business leaders. Although the two groups seem to have many similarities, Gulbrandsen finds that owner capitalists are more likely to focus their lobbying efforts on top-level politicians.
Political experience matters
In the Norwegian corporatist system, certain business leaders have participated in important committees and councils preparing or implementing political decisions. Gulbrandsen presents evidence that business leaders with previous political experience apply a broader and more consistent lobbying strategy.
- Through this participation they have acquired firsthand knowledge about how the political system is functioning. Moreover, they have probably also made personal acquaintance with politicians and senior officials whom they later can contact for information or for promoting their interests.
Comparative analyses
Gulbrandsen’s analysis is published in the anthology European Economic Elites: Between a New Spirit of Capitalism and the Erosion of State Socialism, edited by Friederike Sattler and Christoph Boyer. The volume contains comparative studies of economic elites in both Eastern and Western Europe, and contributors include historians as well as social scientists.
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