Determinants of lobbying efforts of associations in Canada

This study addresses three questions: to what extent lobbying efforts under taken by associations vary across different types of associations; what are the different lobbying instruments used by Canadian associations; what fac tors explain the intensity of the lobbying efforts deployed by the Canadian associations? These questions are dealt with through a sample of 438 assoc iations operating in 12 different policy domains and at three possible leve ls of government (Canadian, provincial and municipal). The results show tha t leisure associations deploy less intense efforts in lobbying than public and private goods associations. Likewise, public and private goods associat ions do not appear to differ significantly with respect to efforts deployed in lobbying. Furthermore, the results show that the lobbying instruments u sed by associations differ across the different types of associations. Fina lly, the results indicate that competition between associations, participat ion in coalitions of associations and the number of policy domains in which associations have intense interests are significantly related to efforts d eployed in lobbying by associations in many different policy domains. Howev er, the variables related to the material resources of the associations hav e been shown to exert no significant impact on the lobbying efforts of Cana dian associations.