Showing papers by "Darren Halpin published in 2021"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors demonstrate that advocacy-dedicated nonprofit organizations (what they refer to as advo... ) gain an audience on social media is an important goal of contemporary policy advocacy.
Abstract: Gaining an audience on social media is an important goal of contemporary policy advocacy. While previous studies demonstrate that advocacy-dedicated nonprofit organizations—what we refer to as advo...
11 citations
TL;DR: A nascent strand of public policy students have spent considerable effort setting out the types of policy instruments or tools available to policymakers in different stages of the policy process as mentioned in this paper, and a nascent strand o...
7 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined how groups seek to balance different internal and external considerations when prioritizing issues, and which factors might explain variation in the relative strength of these drivers.
Abstract: Interest groups cannot advocate on every issue they might consider relevant. They must decide what issues to prioritise and which ones to leave to one side. In this article, we examine how groups seek to balance different internal and external considerations when prioritizing issues, and which factors might explain variation in the relative strength of these drivers. We integrate data of a survey of national interest groups in Australia with findings from interviews with a cross section of high-profile groups. While the literature often suggests a clash between external political considerations and internal membership demands, we find that groups view these drivers as largely compatible. Our explanatory analysis points to the policy orientation and insider status of the group, its democratic character, and the extent to which it faces competition for membership contributions, as important factors shaping the relative strength of distinct drivers of internal agenda setting.
5 citations
TL;DR: The source, size and recipients of political contributions, and their influence on policy-making has long been of interest to political scientists, journalists and citizens as discussed by the authors, and there is ever present...
Abstract: The source, size and recipients of political contributions, and their influence on policy-making, has long been of interest to political scientists, journalists and citizens. There is ever present ...
4 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that sinking costs into research in specific policy areas pays off for think tanks by funnelling more media attention towards them, notwithstanding the importance of governments' own issue agendas.
Abstract: Think tanks are expected to cut through the prevailing short-term government agenda of the day, and to inject long-term perspectives and research-based expertise into policy debates. In order to do so, they need to attract media attention to themselves in connection with those issue areas in which they have expertise, even if government is focusing elsewhere. Yet, existing studies of media attention among organized interests have thus far ignored the issue context. We argue that sinking costs into research in specific policy areas pays off for think tanks by funnelling more media attention towards them. This is notwithstanding the importance of governments’ own issue agendas, which, if a think tank’s expertise aligns with them, further raises media attention. We substantiate these claims with a content analysis of news coverage of 62 Australian think tanks in 19 different policy issue areas. The results broadly support our argument and contribute to studies of policy advisory systems, organized interests, and group-media relations.
2 citations