Dr Bert Fraussen, Postdoctoral Research Assistant at the Antwerp Centre for Institutions and Multilevel Politics (ACIM), University of Antwerp.
Room 2175, Level 2, Haydon-Allen Building, The Australian National University
In many countries, policymakers regularly seek advice from organized interests in order to be aware of societal concerns and to acquire policy expertise. In turn, organized interests that aim to represent their constituency and aspire to influence public policy frequently seek access to policymakers. For my PhD dissertation, I have analyzed the interaction between these two political actors in Belgium, a country whose interest group system encompasses a variety of groups, yet also is characterized by neo-corporatist patterns and the federal nature of its political system. More specifically, I zoom in on why some groups are able to professionalize, become involved in policymaking and manage to shape policy outcomes. Furthermore, I also clarify why linkages to the state are not only crucial to influencing policymaking, but also enable the organizational development of interest groups.
Biography: Bert is a Postdoctoral Research Assistant at the Antwerp Centre for Institutions and Multilevel Politics (ACIM), at the Department of Political Science, University of Antwerp (Belgium). His research interests also include European Union politics, public management and organization studies. His PhD dissertation focused on the organization and development of interest groups, as he examined why some groups develop, gain access and are influential. Next to this PhD research, he has worked in projects involving lobbying at the EU and international level (WTO, UN). Bert is currently a Visiting Fellow at the School of Sociology, where he will continue his work on the organization and development of interest groups in close cooperation with Professor Darren Halpin.
Before enrolling in a PhD Program, he has obtained degrees in Global Management (Antwerp Management School), Public Administration (KULeuven) and Political Science (University of Antwerp). Bert also worked part-time as an assistant to a Member of the European Parliament from October 2007 until March 2008.