Transnational Advocacy over Time: Business and NGO Mobilization at UN Climate Summits

A common feature of contemporary domestic and transnational political systems is the extensive and ever-growing participation of interest groups in the policymaking process. 1 While this observation is widely documented, the consequences of these developments, especially the consequences of opening up international organizations (IOs) to the input of interest groups, are often still poorly understood. 2 Many proponents argue that opening up to the input of interest groups will result in more proficiency, accountability, and legitimacy. Opponents contend that the inherently biased nature of interest representation could lead more open IOs to capture by special interest groups.