Empirical analysis of the economics of lobbying in European policy reforms (B10*)

The implementation of political reforms has been shifting from national governments to European institutions. The fragmentation of power among these institutions provides special interest groups with multiple opportunities for exerting political influence. Lobbying in Brussels is a pervasive phenomenon, but its economic and political consequences are not yet well understood. This project gathers data and develops econometric techniques for quantitatively assessing the private returns to lobbying, its implications on welfare and its impact on the political acceptance of EU reforms among the electorate. The application will focus on carbon trading, Europe’s flagship environmental policy instrument.

DFG Programme Collaborative Research Centres

Subproject of SFB 884:  Political Economy of Reforms

Applicant Institution Universität Mannheim

Project Head Professor Dr. Ulrich J. Wagner