Andreas Polk

How Special Interests Shape Policy - a Survey

This paper surveys recent approaches towards lobbying if interest groups influence the decision of an incumbent government. It describes the two main channels of influence which mainly exist in parallel, namely contribution payments and the transmission of information through lobbying. Recent extensions to the two basic lobbying models are discussed in great detail. Thereafter follows a short overview over current research, which tries to consolidate the two distinct branches of literature into a general lobbying model. The survey concludes with a summary of the main insights and indicates promising directions of further research.

Lobbying Activities of Multinational Firms

This paper investigates if multinationals in.uence the political process through lobbying more effectively than national firms. First, I introduce a model which contrasts a multinationali?½s incentives for lobbying with those of a national firm. Then the effect of lobbying on the political decision is analyzed. I conclude that multinationals have smaller incentives to lobby because they have smaller stakes in national markets. But the effectiveness of lobbying by multinationals might be higher if the government cares much about production in the home country. The resulting regulation depends on the relative strength of these effects.

Market Power of Airports: A Case Study for Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

We analyze the extent of market power of Amsterdam airport Schiphol in its aviation related business. First, we use information on airport charges, and a natural experiment with a passenger tax, to propose a detailed delineation of markets for the airport. Our market definition is in line with the European competition case practice, and we consider the applied methodology as also relevant for other airports. As the second step, we assess the market power of Amsterdam airport Schiphol in all the markets we have defined. We empirically analyze overlaps in the markets served by the airport and catchment areas of the airport, and demonstrate how this approach is helpful in determining the extent of the market power of an airport.