Interest Groups in the Five New Länder

Abstract

Interest groups play a vital role in pluralist political systems. Representing the interests of major social groups and mediating between their members and government, they provide the institutional linkage between state and society. As intermediary organisations they help to establish order amongst the myriad of private interests in society, weaving these into the broader fabric of the public interest. Effective systems of interest representation promote social cohesion, overcoming the clash of competing interests and resolving conflicts between the private and public spheres.