What, exactly, is an interest group? How would you define one for regulatory purposes?
There is a growing interest in western democracies for the regulation of interest groups, an activity which is complicated by the difficulty of constructing a precise definition.
This research examines definitions of interest groups from countries similar to New Zealand, and analyses them against definitional elements drawn from the academic literature. It recommends that interest groups should be defined in New Zealand as:
Any group or individual that communicates with an elected or appointed Government representatives about the formulation, modification or adoption of any legislation, rule, regulation, executive order or position of the Government. Explicitly excluded should be communications made by individuals on their own behalf, or any communications made in a public forum.
This site has been created as part of a graduate course in Public Policy at the University of Auckland. One aim of the website is to assist in the dissemination of student work to a wider audience than is usually the case.
