The Debate over Ethnic Interest Group Influence

Abstract

This chapter lays the ground for the construction of the framework of analysis by reviewing the current research on ethnic interest groups from the angle of International Relations (IR) theory and with a particular focus on the major empirical puzzle—the puzzle of influence. The different conditions of influence identified in the literature on the subject were gathered, organized, and compared as the first step toward the framework. A comparison with interest groups in general disclosed the unique feature of ethnic interest groups—their collective ethnic identity.