Interest group access in CEE in the healthcare sector

Abstract

This chapter explores characteristics of organized interests and their level of political access in four post-communist countries – the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia. The authors explore data on healthcare interest groups collected by means of a unique large-scale survey and develop statistical models to estimate the maximal likelihood of events occurring utilizing an ordered logit model. The chapter explores the conditions, which enhance the access of interest groups to the political apparatus, i.e., the parliament and governing parties. The focus relies on the characteristics of interest groups that may mediate their leverage on political decision-making. This includes their financial and personal resources, whether they represent diffuse or concentrated interests, and the information they provide policy-makers with. The authors also explore whether the professionalization of interest groups facilitates political access. The statistical analysis isolates the key features of interest groups, which enhance their capacity to shape healthcare policies in the four countries.