Gruppepolitik

Gruppepolitik, literally "group politics," is a term used in political science to describe a mode of decision-making in which organized groups exert substantial influence on policy. In this approach, policy choices are shaped less by broad mass mobilization or sweeping ideological programs and more by bargaining among factions within parties, government coalitions, and interest associations such as unions, business associations, and professional groups. The aim is to secure policy packages that accommodate the interests and leverage of the participating groups, often through formal or informal caucuses, committee bargaining, and the distribution of political offices or resources.

Gruppepolitik tends to arise in parliamentary systems with proportional representation, coalition governments, and traditions that tolerate or encourage intergroup bargaining. It operates through mechanisms such as coalition agreements, policy networks, and the work of parliamentary committees, which translate group preferences into enacted legislation. In such settings, policy outcomes often reflect the bargaining power of organized interests and subgroups within the political system.

Scholars contrast Gruppepolitik with mass politics, where policy aims to mobilize large segments of the population and with ideologically driven top-down leadership politics. Proponents argue that it can incorporate expert input, promote policy stability, and protect minority or sectoral interests; critics warn of capture, reduced transparency, and the risk that policy serves narrow group interests rather than the general public.

In German-speaking political science, the term is used to analyze governance in contemporary democracies, focusing on the influence of unions, business associations, and other organized interests on legislation and budget decisions, and on the balance between pluralist representation and centralized political leadership.