BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS OF STUDIES ON THE INFLUENCE OF PRESSURE GROUPS ON POLITICAL DECISIONS

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive bibliographical and bibliometric analysis of scholarly literature on the influence of pressure groups on political decision-making. Drawing on a dataset of 112 peer-reviewed articles indexed in Scopus between 2005 and 2024, the research maps the intellectual structure of the field, identifies dominant theoretical frameworks, leading contributors, thematic clusters, and geographic trends. The analysis reveals five major conceptual domains: democratic advocacy, institutional governance, sector-specific lobbying, transnational influence, and participatory policy management. While the United Kingdom and the United States emerge as the most prolific contributors, the findings highlight the significant underrepresentation of post-Soviet and Global South contexts, including Kazakhstan. Using VOSviewer, the study visualizes co-occurrence networks to uncover latent patterns and epistemological gaps within the literature. The results highlight the conceptual fragmentation and regional imbalance in the study of pressure groups, underscoring the need for more inclusive, context-sensitive, and comparative approaches in future research. This work contributes to both theoretical advancement and policy relevance by providing a systematic overview that supports scholarly inquiry and institutional reflection in diverse political settings