Special Interest influence and the interpretability of the law

Julián Costas-Fernández, Simón Lodato and Gustavo Torrens

No 2026-14, Discussion Papers from Nottingham Interdisciplinary Centre for Economic and Political Research (NICEP)

Abstract: Because laws are susceptible to multiple interpretations, interest groups care not only about the choices of lawmakers but also those of interpreters. When institutions restrict groups from directly influencing interpreters, such as judges, they may instead seek to shape the interpretability of laws in ways that advance their interests. Data from the United States show that activities aimed at influencing the interpretability of laws have increased dramatically over the last sixty years and that those involved in these efforts also tend to influence through traditional lobbying. We discuss these ideas within an agency model that links the arenas of influence, lawmaking and law interpretability, and report multiple evidence of complementarities in interest group involvement across both.

Date: 2026
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