the logic of collective action and european union

7/23/2019 THE LOGIC OF COLLECTIVE ACTION AND EUROPEAN UNION

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TROY UNIVERSITY SORRELL COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

Class - Public Choice, ECO 6660-TGAA

Instructor – Dr. George R. Crowley

Student –Zviad ar!aia

Email- "bar!aia#$roy.edu

TE LOGIC OF COLLECTIVE !CTION !N" EURO#E!N UNION

!$stract

%&'(

Introduction

The %ai& 'ue($io&( o) $hi( *a*er i&clude+ how &o&-($a$e i&$ere($ grou*( are i&volved i&

*oli$ical deci(io& %a!i&g *roce(( ow $hey %a&age $o %obili"e/ %e%ber( wi$h

avoidi&g )ree rider *roble% Doe( logic o) collec$ive ac$io&( wor!( $oward Euro*ea&

i&$ere($ grou*( A&d wha$ i( a *o(i$ive (elec$ive i&ce&$ive o& (u*ra&a$io&al level

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



Zviad Barkaia

The Euro*ea& $radi$io& o) re*re(e&$a$io& o) i&$ere($ grou*( are di))ere&$ )ro% *rac$ice i&

$he 1A. A( Toc'ueville argue( i& hi( boo! Democracy in America, *re((ure grou*( i&

.1 are %ul$i)ariou(ly re*re(e&$ed.2 3$ i( %aybe $rue $ha$ co%*e$i$io& be$wee& ($a$e(

e4i($, (o local gover&%e&$( $ry $o have i&)lue&ce o& )ederal *olicy%a!i&g *roce((, bu$

... $here ha( alway( bee& a )ocu( wi$hi& $he A%erica& *oli$y o& bo$h $he *lurali($ &a$ure

o) civic voice a&d i$( releva&ce $o *oli$ical li)e./5

O& $he co&$rary, Euro*ea& ($a$e( had $radi$io& o) ($ro&g *oli$ical *ar$ie(, bureaucracy

a&d ad%i&i($ra$ive eli$e( $ha$ *lay a %uch %ore i%*or$a&$ role i& $he (ocio-*oli$ical li)e

a&d deci(io& %a!i&g *roce(( $ha& *riva$e i&$ere($(. owever, a)$er u&i)ica$io& o)

Euro*ea& ($a$e( a&d crea$i&g o) $he Euro*ea& &io& e'uilibriu% ha( cha&ged.

There)ore old a((u%*$io&( abou$ Euro*ea& collec$ive ac$io& al(o are e'uivocal. Divi(io&

o) i&($i$u$io&(, )rag%e&$a$io& o) *ower a&d *oli$ical dece&$rali"a$io& *rovide o**or$u&i$y

)or i&$ere($ grou*(. e ca& a((u%e $ha$ i& $he Euro*ea& &io& 7E8 (i%ul$a&eou(ly

e4i($ $wo di))ere&$ $y*e( o) i&$ere($ grou*( $ha$ have di))ere&$ origi&(+ 9ir($, a &a$io&al

a((ocia$io&( $ha$ have i&direc$ coercive *ower $o *rovide lobbyi&g wi$hou$ by*roduc$(

o& $he (u*ra&a$io&al level a&d (eco&d, *riva$e 7&o&-($a$e, Euro a((ocia$io&(8

orga&i"a$io&(.

Re)ie* o+ literature

. E!elu&d a&d D. Tolli(o& i& hi( *a*er “The interest-group theory of government,”

argue $ha$ i&$ere($ grou* )or%a$io& i( li!e a $radi$io&al *ublic good where $he be&e)i$(

1.Tocqueville, A. (1831). Democracy in America - Saunders and Otley (ondon)

! "reen#ood $. % As&in#all '. (18). ollective Action in the European Union –

Interests and the new politics of associability; *outled+e &. 1

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Zviad Barkaia

)ro% lobbyi&g are &o&-rival a&d &o&-e4cludable, (o $hi( %ea&( $ha$ a( $radi$io&al *ublic

good, i&$ere($ grou* )or%a$io& i( charac$eri"ed by $he i((ue o) )ree ridi&g. : Ol(o& argue(

$ha$ $he orga&i"a$io&( $ha$ have $he (elec$ive i&ce&$ive(/ available are $ho(e $ha$ 728

have $he au$hori$y a&d ca*aci$y $o be coercive, or 758 have a (ource o) *o(i$ive

i&duce%e&$( $ha$ $hey ca& o))er $he i&dividual( i& a la$e&$ grou*(/; 3& $he ca(e o) E

&a$io&al i&$ere($ grou*( a((ocia$io&( a *riori have i&direc$ coercive *ower )or *rovi(io&

lobbyi&g o& (u*ra&a$io&al level, bu$ o& $he o$her ha&d &o&-($a$e Euro a((ocia$io&( are

i& di))ere&$ *o(i$io& a&d $hey (o%ehow (hould *rovide *o(i$ive (elec$ive i&ce&$ive(

7reward8 )or avoidi&g )ree rider *roble%.

Collecti)e action and EU

The Euro grou*(< $arge$ i( Euro*ea& Co%%i((io& 7a&d bra&che( o) E i& ge&eral8

which i( $he *lace where deci(io&( are %ade. 3&$ere($ grou*( u(ually $ry $o i&)lue&ce

$he *roce(( by (elli&g i&)or%a$io&, which i( e((e&$ial )or (ha*i&g $he age&da. There)ore,

a( a re(ul$ i&$ere($ grou*( have a ca*aci$y $o (ha*e ou$co%e(.

The 'ue($io& o) $hi( *a*er i( how &o&-($a$e i&$ere($ grou*( are i&volved i& *oli$ical

deci(io& %a!i&g *roce(( ow $hey %a&age $o %obili"e/ %e%ber( by avoidi&g )ree

rider *roble% Doe( $he logic o) collec$ive ac$io&( wor! $oward Euro*ea& i&$ere($

grou*( A&d wha$ i( a *o(i$ive (elec$ive i&ce&$ive o& (u*ra&a$io&al level

3 kelund and . Tollison (!//1). The interest-group theory of government; T0e l+ar

co&anion to &u2lic c0oice.&. 34

5 '. Olson (16 ! The "ogic #f $ollective Actions By7 arvard 9niversity ress &.

113

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Zviad Barkaia

Accordi&g $o $he ERO=O da$a E a((ocia$io&( orga&i"ed %ore *o$e&$ial %e%ber(,

co%*ared $o $he &a$io&al a((ocia$io&(. They orga&i"ed >?.5 *er ce&$ o) %e%ber( while

Ger%a& grou*( could orga&i"e o&ly >0.; *er ce&$@ ri$i(h orga&i"a$io&( re*re(e&$ >0

*er ce&$@ a&d 9re&ch orga&i"a$io&( re*re(e&$ 62. *er ce&$. Al(o i$ i( i%*or$a&$ $ha$ all

$he(e &a$io&al )ir%( 7*o$e&$ial %e%ber(8 are Boi&ed a$ lea($ o&e E a((ocia$io&. e

ca& ea(ily a((u%e $ha$ &a$io&al bu(i&e(( )ir%( are i&$ere($ed $o be a %e%ber o) E

a((ocia$io&(. 7Thi( i( &o$ our *a*er(< $o*ic bu$ i$ (hould be %e&$io&ed $ha$ i& (*i$e o) $he

)ac$ $ha$ bu(i&e(( a((ocia$io&( are (ig&i)ica&$ a&d i%*or$a&$ )or ob(erva$io&, $here are

al(o di))ere&$ $y*e o) a((ocia$io&( )or e4a%*le+ Public i&$ere($(, Pro)e((io&(. e$c.8

Gree&wood a&d A(*i&wall $e($ed $he ra$e o) $he i%*or$a&ce o) *o(i$ive i&ce&$ive( $ha$

E a((ocia$io&( o))er $o $heir %e%ber(. A( we ca& (ee i& $he Table 2 $he %o($

i%*or$a&$ i&ce&$ive( are $he Representing members’ interests in Europe a&d Provision

of information 7Tech&ically, Advi(e 1ervice( a&d 3&)or%a$io& ew(le$$er( are a )or% o)

*rovi(io& o) i&)or%a$io&8. O$her i&$e&(ive( (uch a( di(cou&$(, legal a&d bu(i&e((

(ervice( are le(( (ig&i)ica&$.

Ta$le ' Membership services provie by a samp!e of Euro groups" #usiness$ %Tab!e

is change s!ight!y by author in orer to main topic of paper&

'ervice ( )

Representing members’ interests in Europe 560 ? Access to E* avisory committees, +oring parties, etc 2>? 6

9*OOB data - 0tt&:;;###.<es.uni-ann0ei.de;d4;en;&ro=ects;eurolo2-ii-

euro&eani<ation-o>-interest-interediation (ast u&date - 1/;3/;!/1)

6 "reen#ood $. % As&in#all '. (18). ollective Action in the European Union –

Interests and the new politics of associability; *outled+e &. 8

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http://www.mzes.uni-mannheim.de/d7/en/projects/eurolob-ii-europeanization-of-interest-intermediation







Zviad Barkaia

.nformation ne+s!etters 2>0 6; Avice services 2>0 6;Discounts +ith supp!iers 20 ;Membership iscounts of other organi/ations : 2

Access to business services 5 ?

Access to !ega! services ;6 2>0onsu!tants of favorab!e 20 :

owever, $hi( re(ul$ ($ill doe( &o$ %ea& $ha$ &a$io&al )ir%( do &o$ have i&$ere($ $o be

%e%ber( o) (u*ra&a$io&al a((ocia$io&(. 3&deed, we have (ee& i& ERO=O a&aly(i(

where *erce&$age o) i&volve%e&$ i( (ig&i)ica&$ly high. 1o we ca& a((u%e $ha$ *o(i$ive

(elec$ive i&ce&$ive( do &o$ have (ig&i)ica&$ or a$ lea($ deci(ively (ig&i)ica&$ e))ec$ o& $he

collec$ive ac$io& logic i& E.>

Ol(o&<( $heory ha( bee& cri$ici"ed $ha$ i$ i( e%*irically i%*o((ible $ha$ i&$ere($ grou*(

ca& )i&a&ce $heir lobbyi&g %ove%e&$ wi$h reve&ue by (elli&g *o(i$ive (elec$ive

i&ce&$ive(. e could (ee ca(e where i& (*i$e o) high ($a&dard o) %obili"a$io& o) &a$io&al

)ir%( i& (u*ra&a$io&al a((ocia$io&( *o(i$ive (elec$ive i&ce&$ive( do &o$ have $he real

i&)lue&ce o& $he *roce((.

Conclusion

e have argued $ha$ (i%*le ge&erali"a$io& o) $he logic o) collec$ive ac$io& a&d $he role

o) (elec$ive i&ce&$ive( are &o$ a((ured. e have a((u%ed $ha$ *o(i$ive (elec$ive

i&ce&$ive( 7reward(8 do &o$ have (ig&i)ica&$ e))ec$ o& &a$io&al )ir%( $ha$ wa&$ $o be a

%e%ber o) E a((ocia$io&(.

4*. isin+ (!//) The %olitical Economy of &tate-'usiness (elation In Europe –

Interest mediation) capitalism and EU policy-ma*ing. *outled+e . &. 8!-85

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Zviad Barkaia

• Gree&wood . H A(*i&wall I. 72??8. Collec$ive Action in the European *nion 2

.nterests an the ne+ po!itics of associabi!ity1 Rou$ledge

• I. Ol(o& 72?6 & The 3ogic 4f 0o!!ective Actions y@ arvard &iver(i$y Pre((

• R. Ei(i&g 7500?8 The Po!itica! Economy of 'tate-#usiness Re!ation .n Europe 2

.nterest meiation, capita!ism an E* po!icy-maing . Rou$ledge

• Toc'ueville, A. 72:28. Democracy in America - 1au&der( a&d O$ley 7=o&do&8

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the logic of collective action and european union

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