Achieving Democracy Through Interest Representation

‘This book brings added value to the already rich literature on interest groups, representation and democracy. The most important contribution is that the detailed analysis of the growth, role and importance of the interest group system in Lithuania, Poland and Slovenia is put in a comparative perspective. It provides a deep understanding of the similarities and, above all, the differences between the three countries which is furthered by extending the comparative analysis to Western Europe. Last, not least, the book addresses a most pertinent question – the influence of an unsupportive environment on interest group participation in the democratic policy creation process.’–Professor Beate Kohler, University of Mannheim, Germany
‘At a time when the prospects for democratic politics are coming under question in some post-communist countries, and interest groups are commonly described as weak, this book provides a very timely exploration ofinterest group politics in Central and Eastern Europe. Drawing on detailed research on three contrasting CEE countries, Lithuania, Poland and Slovenia, it provides a more detailed and comprehensive approach than most previous research, locating interest group development in a wider context of the political and ecological factors that affect its strength and character.’–Professor Terry Cox, University of Glasgow, UK
This book assesses the quality of democracy through the study of organized interests in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) since the collapse of communism in 1989 up to 2017. Drawing on democratic theory and comparative analysis, the authors explore the effects of a legal framework, political and social contexts.
Patrycja Rozbicka is Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations at Aston University, UK.
Paweł Kamiński is Adjunct Professor in the Institute of PoliticalStudies at the Polish Academy of Sciences.
Meta Novak is Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, and a researcher at the Centre for Political Science Research in the same faculty.
Vaida Jankauskaitė is Researcher in the Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities at Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania.