Evolution of methodological approaches in the study of interest groups and lobbying

Currently, lobbying is one of the important mechanisms of interaction between society and the state. The relevance of the study theoretical and empirical approaches to the study of lobbying as a phenomenon of group participation in politics due to the growing influence of pressure groups on the political process, creating new mechanisms of interaction between interest groups and organs of political power. Extension of the problem the study of lobbying, involves the study not only of theoretical and methodological bases of this phenomenon, but also its applied aspects, the development of new models and instruments of the study of lobbying as a mechanism to promote group interests. The objective of this article is to analyze the evolution of the main approaches to the study of such a complex and ambiguous phenomenon as interest groups in politics and lobbying as an institution and a way of realization of group interests. Neo-institutional method, in our opinion, provides an opportunity to identify mechanisms and principles characteristic of the system of functional representation and lobbying, as its integral part. The application of multivariate models mathematical modeling to the analysis of modern lobbying practices will allow you to enter multiple variables and predict the probability of certain lobbying activities.