Abstract
Interest groups often face so-called 'nightmare issues'—proposals from other actors that threaten their political interests. Despite the strategic importance of such situations for interest groups, there is limited empirical research on their ability to keep these issues off the formal agenda. This project aims to explain this negative agenda-setting influence of interest groups by: (1) identifying which interest groups are successful in excluding their 'nightmare issues' from the formal agenda, (2) analyzing the lobbying strategies that enable this influence, and (3) examining the issue-specific circumstances under which this influence can be achieved. In doing so, this research advances both interest group and agenda-setting literature by providing insights into why certain issues fail to reach the formal agenda and by shedding light on the role of interest groups in shaping this issue exclusion process. The methodology includes a large-scale survey of approximately 2,000 EU-level interest groups, a content analysis of the European Commission's formal agenda, and interviews with Commission officials. The findings will have significant implications for the functioning of representative democracy, as interest groups' negative agenda-setting influence can profoundly shape future policymaking and potentially undermine the principles of equal representation.
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