Danica Fink‐hafner
Biographic Data
| ID | 3596410 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Danica Fink‐hafner |
| GIVEN NAMES | Danica |
| FAMILY NAME | Fink‐hafner |
| SIGNATURE | HAFNER D F |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Ljubljana |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4455-9223 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 38 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 256 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 38 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1995 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 10 |
Alternatives to Liberal Democracy and the Role of AI: The Case of Elections
Liberal democracy has been increasingly challenged not only by illiberal democracy but also by the Dark Enlightenment (also named neoreactionarism, abbreviated to NRx and characterised as neo-fascist), which has been supported by the top segment of global high-tech corporations based in the US. These concepts of governing have not been directly compared, either in general or in their treatment of elections in particular. This article compares the…
Artificial Intelligence and Political Trust
This article is based on understanding political trust as a relational concept. In the frame of liberal democratic thought, the article refers to the relationship between citizens and political institutions, and the role played by political trust as the crucial glue that holds it together, thereby enabling the democratic political system to function successfully. Based on a narrative literature review, we have developed a conceptual model that il…
Party System Change and Challenges to Democracy in Slovenia
In the context of a post-socialist party system, stabilization is believed to be linked to democracy. Based on that assumption, it could be inferred that party system instability is not compatible with the consolidation of democracy. However, research has found that the destabilization of party systems does not endanger democracy in Western countries. The case study of Slovenia reveals that dynamic changes in the party system and consolidation of…
Theoretical Perspectives on Bureaucrats: A Quest for Democratic Agents
While the relationship between bureaucracy and democracy has gained attention in historical cycles, the literature on the roles of bureaucrats in relation to democracy has become increasingly fragmented. Drawing on comparisons among public administration theory and participatory, deliberative, and collaborative democracy, this article provides typologies that reflect the historical multiplication of the theoretically determined roles and characte…
Interest Group Strategic Responses to Democratic Backsliding
In this article, we offer insights into the plurality of interest groups’ strategic responses to the socially, politically, and economically transformative phenomenon of democratic backsliding. For the purpose of the article, the term “ideational plurality” has been coined to refer to a plurality of interest groups’ ideas leading their activities in general and their choice of strategies concerning the government in particular (attitudinal and be…
Party Fragmentation, the Proportional System and Democracy in Slovenia
In Slovenia, political parties have been the key actors in opting for a proportional electoral system and constitutional choice of a parliamentary system, both of which are believed to help to develop a consensual type of democracy. However, a vicious circle involving a fragmented party system and a proportional electoral system has not only led to polarisation within the party system, but has also contributed to problems of democratic governabil…
The Comparative Interest Group-survey project: Design, practical lessons, and data sets
This article discusses the methodology and practice behind planning and executing the Comparative Interest Group-survey project (CIG-survey). The CIG-survey includes surveys among national populations of organized interests in 9 European countries and at the European Union level. Although surveys are a useful and reliable way to collect data on a variety of topics, there are also numerous pitfalls and challenges in surveying interest groups, espe…
The Balkan experience: Explanations of public affairs and interest group activity
This final article is a synthesis of findings from the seven country studies in this special issue. Although there are characteristics common to all group systems, particularly those transitioning to democracy, there are also significant differences. Analysis of these differences reveals a direct relationship between both the level of socioeconomic and political development and the characteristics of the group systems in all Balkan countries. In …
Slovenia: Interest group developments in a postsocialist‐liberal democracy
Slovenia has a rich tradition of associations and interest group activity dating back to the 19th century. To some extent, the development of the group system was stymied by the 60 years of authoritarian rule from the early 1930s to the late 1980s. However, the resilience of this tradition is evident in major developments in group activity since the return to democracy. In addition to influences from the past, including a neocorporatist tradition…
The impact of the EU accession process and EU funding on the professionalization of national interest groups: The Slovenian case
This article investigates the extent to which European Union (EU) accession and EU funding contribute to the professionalization of interest groups in Slovenia. Have EU accession and funding had a more profound impact on the professionalization of interest groups in Slovenia than the shift from socialism to capitalism? Our novel empirical evidence is drawn from two surveys of interest groups in Slovenia—the first in 1996 eight years prior to Slov…
Interest groups and public affairs in the contemporary Balkans: Project overview and preliminary explanations
This comprehensive coverage of public affairs and interest group activity in the Balkans has 2 objectives. One is to produce the first study focusing solely on interest groups in each of the 7 countries of the former socialist Yugoslavia. The second is to compare developments across the region to assess the extent to which this study reflects existing research and what it can add to this knowledge. To achieve these objectives, this article explai…
The development of interest groups in the Balkans: Background and contemporary characteristics
Understanding the political development of the Balkans can be challenging even for historians and social scientists. This is particularly the case with the region's past and present interest group systems as virtually no research is available on the subject. With this in mind, this article provides basic background on the region and its fledgling interest group system as a foundation for approaching the analysis in the 7 country articles that fol…
This time it’s different? Effects of the Eurovision Debate on young citizens and its consequence for EU democracy – evidence from a quasi-experiment in 24 countries
This paper was co-authored by Jurgen Maier, Thorsten Faas, Berthold Rittberger, Jessica Fortin-Rittberger, Kalliope Agapiou Josifides, Susan Banducci, Paolo Bellucci, Magnus Blomgren, Inta Brikse, Karol Chwedczuk-Szulc, Marina Costa Lobo, Mikolaj Czesnik, Anastasia Deligiaouri, Tomaz Dezelan, Wouter deNooy, Aldo Di Virgilio, Florin Fesnic, Danica Fink-Hafner, Marijana Grbesa, Carmen Greab, Andrija Henjak, David Nicolas Hopmann, David Johann, Gabo…
Who says what to whom? Alignments and arguments in EU policy-making
In the EU multilevel polity, domestic interest groups seek to shape EU legislation by accessing both national and EU institutions. Previous studies indicated that institutional and issue contexts as well as organisational characteristics shape their strategies of interest representation. However, we know much less about how alignments and arguments impact on their participation in EU and national policy consultations. Addressing this gap, we inve…
Collected Essays
An abstract is not available for this content. As you have access to this content, full HTML content is provided on this page. A PDF of this content is also available in through the ‘Save PDF’ action button
A Typology of Populisms and Changing Forms of Society: The Case of Slovenia
Although there are numerous definitions of populism, the distinction between the different forms of populism in relation to changing forms of societies has not yet been conceptualised. Such a typologisation requires a focus on changes in political paradigms relating to changing forms of societies, and on particular reactions to processes of globalisation. It is argued that adopting this approach can make research more precise both in studying a s…
The Intereuro Project: Logic and structure
Europeanisation as a Factor of National Interest Group Political-Cultural Change: The Case of Interest Groups in Slovenia
Based on a social constructivist framing, this article seeks to address the gap in the literature on the impact of Europeanisation on the national interest group political culture in general and in the post-communist context in particular. The impacts of Europeanisation on interest group domestic policy behaviour, in terms of national interest groups networking with their European counterparts, their contacts with EU-level decision makers, and th…
Post‐accession Politicization of National Eu Policy Coordination: The Case of Slovenia
This article focuses on how domestic and EU ‐level political factors affect the functional aspect of the national coordination of EU affairs. Due to the idiosyncrasies of the post‐communist countries which have joined the EU since 2004, an analysis of dynamic changes in the national systems of coordination needs to focus on three factors: (a) functional pressures from the EU ; (b) the consolidation of the national party system; and (c) existing t…
Interest Representation and Post-Communist Parliaments over Two Decades
Variations in relationships between interest groups and seven post-communist parliaments (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine) are found to be determined by the constitutional system, the strength of civil society and institutionalisation of the social partnership, as well as by international organisations. Membership in the European Union has strengthened the national executive in relation to both interest grou…
Slovenia
Slovenia
The Determinants of the Success of Transitions to Democracy
The article provides an analysis of the determinants of the success of transitions to democracy based on a combination of qualitative comparative analysis of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia; and hierarchical clustering. The key finding is that one can reveal configurations of several factors which jointly determine either continuous or disrupted transitions t…
Slovenia
Introduction: Europeanization and party politics in the territory of former Yugoslavia
The study of national political parties and the European Union (EU) has evolved over recent years in two directions. The first direction one might term ‘levels of analysis’, in which research focus
The Intereuro Project: Logic and structure
Organized interests in the policy-making process in Slovenia
The article describes the emergence of a modern civil society in the context of democratic transition in Slovenia. Empirical research has shown that modern interest groups are developing and gaining sway in the policy-making process and, moreover, that some institutionalized forms of consultative politics are becoming part of the new political system. Political parties still dominate in interest intermediation. The role of interest groups in poli…
The Comparative Interest Group-survey project: Design, practical lessons, and data sets
This article discusses the methodology and practice behind planning and executing the Comparative Interest Group-survey project (CIG-survey). The CIG-survey includes surveys among national populations of organized interests in 9 European countries and at the European Union level. Although surveys are a useful and reliable way to collect data on a variety of topics, there are also numerous pitfalls and challenges in surveying interest groups, espe…
This time it’s different? Effects of the Eurovision Debate on young citizens and its consequence for EU democracy – evidence from a quasi-experiment in 24 countries
This paper was co-authored by Jurgen Maier, Thorsten Faas, Berthold Rittberger, Jessica Fortin-Rittberger, Kalliope Agapiou Josifides, Susan Banducci, Paolo Bellucci, Magnus Blomgren, Inta Brikse, Karol Chwedczuk-Szulc, Marina Costa Lobo, Mikolaj Czesnik, Anastasia Deligiaouri, Tomaz Dezelan, Wouter deNooy, Aldo Di Virgilio, Florin Fesnic, Danica Fink-Hafner, Marijana Grbesa, Carmen Greab, Andrija Henjak, David Nicolas Hopmann, David Johann, Gabo…
Who says what to whom? Alignments and arguments in EU policy-making
In the EU multilevel polity, domestic interest groups seek to shape EU legislation by accessing both national and EU institutions. Previous studies indicated that institutional and issue contexts as well as organisational characteristics shape their strategies of interest representation. However, we know much less about how alignments and arguments impact on their participation in EU and national policy consultations. Addressing this gap, we inve…
Europeanization in Managing Eu Affairs: Between Divergence and Convergence, a Comparative Study of Estonia, Hungary and Slovenia
Scholarly research into Estonia, Hungary and Slovenia has shown that the idiosyncrasies of the new EU countries (especially with respect to institutionalizing and centralizing the co‐ordination of core executives in managing EU affairs at home) persist. They are complemented by trends toward convergence (such as growing co‐ordination efforts and a common tendency: that of the prime minister to be the centre of co‐ordination). In this article exte…
Interest Representation and Post-Communist Parliaments over Two Decades
Variations in relationships between interest groups and seven post-communist parliaments (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine) are found to be determined by the constitutional system, the strength of civil society and institutionalisation of the social partnership, as well as by international organisations. Membership in the European Union has strengthened the national executive in relation to both interest grou…
Slovenia: Interest group developments in a postsocialist‐liberal democracy
Slovenia has a rich tradition of associations and interest group activity dating back to the 19th century. To some extent, the development of the group system was stymied by the 60 years of authoritarian rule from the early 1930s to the late 1980s. However, the resilience of this tradition is evident in major developments in group activity since the return to democracy. In addition to influences from the past, including a neocorporatist tradition…
The Determinants of the Success of Transitions to Democracy
The article provides an analysis of the determinants of the success of transitions to democracy based on a combination of qualitative comparative analysis of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia; and hierarchical clustering. The key finding is that one can reveal configurations of several factors which jointly determine either continuous or disrupted transitions t…
Europeanization and party system mechanics: Comparing Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro
About a decade ago distinctions between ‘old’ European Union (EU) members and prospective members started to be made in the literature. Pointing out differences between the ‘old’ and ‘new’ EU membe
Europeanisation as a Factor of National Interest Group Political-Cultural Change: The Case of Interest Groups in Slovenia
Based on a social constructivist framing, this article seeks to address the gap in the literature on the impact of Europeanisation on the national interest group political culture in general and in the post-communist context in particular. The impacts of Europeanisation on interest group domestic policy behaviour, in terms of national interest groups networking with their European counterparts, their contacts with EU-level decision makers, and th…
The impact of the EU accession process and EU funding on the professionalization of national interest groups: The Slovenian case
This article investigates the extent to which European Union (EU) accession and EU funding contribute to the professionalization of interest groups in Slovenia. Have EU accession and funding had a more profound impact on the professionalization of interest groups in Slovenia than the shift from socialism to capitalism? Our novel empirical evidence is drawn from two surveys of interest groups in Slovenia—the first in 1996 eight years prior to Slov…
Political data in 2005
Slovenia
Theoretical Perspectives on Bureaucrats: A Quest for Democratic Agents
While the relationship between bureaucracy and democracy has gained attention in historical cycles, the literature on the roles of bureaucrats in relation to democracy has become increasingly fragmented. Drawing on comparisons among public administration theory and participatory, deliberative, and collaborative democracy, this article provides typologies that reflect the historical multiplication of the theoretically determined roles and characte…
Post‐accession Politicization of National Eu Policy Coordination: The Case of Slovenia
This article focuses on how domestic and EU ‐level political factors affect the functional aspect of the national coordination of EU affairs. Due to the idiosyncrasies of the post‐communist countries which have joined the EU since 2004, an analysis of dynamic changes in the national systems of coordination needs to focus on three factors: (a) functional pressures from the EU ; (b) the consolidation of the national party system; and (c) existing t…
Is Consultation Everything? The Influence of Interest Groups on Parliamentary Working Bodies in Slovenia
Empirical data gathered from surveys of MPs and interest groups in Slovenia reveal that the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia is a relatively powerful and accessible political institution. Parliamentary working bodies are perceived by MPs and interest groups as the focal point of their contacts. While MPs find interest groups to be both valuable sources of input into the legislative process and relatively influential policy actors, in…
Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia
Party System Change and Challenges to Democracy in Slovenia
In the context of a post-socialist party system, stabilization is believed to be linked to democracy. Based on that assumption, it could be inferred that party system instability is not compatible with the consolidation of democracy. However, research has found that the destabilization of party systems does not endanger democracy in Western countries. The case study of Slovenia reveals that dynamic changes in the party system and consolidation of…
A Typology of Populisms and Changing Forms of Society: The Case of Slovenia
Although there are numerous definitions of populism, the distinction between the different forms of populism in relation to changing forms of societies has not yet been conceptualised. Such a typologisation requires a focus on changes in political paradigms relating to changing forms of societies, and on particular reactions to processes of globalisation. It is argued that adopting this approach can make research more precise both in studying a s…
The Disintegration of Yugoslavia
ResumeEn utilisant une approche théoriquement plurielle, cet article examine les déterminations sociales, économiques et culturelles des conflits nationaux et régionaux présents dans l’ancienne Yougoslavie. Son argument est que la désintégration de cet état multinational était inévitable, étant donné les niveaux différents de développement des Républiques qui le constituaient et rendaient extrêmement difficile, sinon impossible, la possibilité de…
Organized interests in the policy-making process in Slovenia
The article describes the emergence of a modern civil society in the context of democratic transition in Slovenia. Empirical research has shown that modern interest groups are developing and gaining sway in the policy-making process and, moreover, that some institutionalized forms of consultative politics are becoming part of the new political system. Political parties still dominate in interest intermediation. The role of interest groups in poli…
Slovenia
Slovenia
The 2002 presidential elections in Slovenia
Is Consultation Everything? The Influence of Interest Groups on Parliamentary Working Bodies in Slovenia
Empirical data gathered from surveys of MPs and interest groups in Slovenia reveal that the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia is a relatively powerful and accessible political institution. Parliamentary working bodies are perceived by MPs and interest groups as the focal point of their contacts. While MPs find interest groups to be both valuable sources of input into the legislative process and relatively influential policy actors, in…
Slovenia
Political data in 2005
Slovenia
Europeanization in Managing Eu Affairs: Between Divergence and Convergence, a Comparative Study of Estonia, Hungary and Slovenia
Scholarly research into Estonia, Hungary and Slovenia has shown that the idiosyncrasies of the new EU countries (especially with respect to institutionalizing and centralizing the co‐ordination of core executives in managing EU affairs at home) persist. They are complemented by trends toward convergence (such as growing co‐ordination efforts and a common tendency: that of the prime minister to be the centre of co‐ordination). In this article exte…
Slovenia
Introduction: Europeanization and party politics in the territory of former Yugoslavia
The study of national political parties and the European Union (EU) has evolved over recent years in two directions. The first direction one might term ‘levels of analysis’, in which research focus
Europeanization and party system mechanics: Comparing Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro
About a decade ago distinctions between ‘old’ European Union (EU) members and prospective members started to be made in the literature. Pointing out differences between the ‘old’ and ‘new’ EU membe
Slovenia
The Determinants of the Success of Transitions to Democracy
The article provides an analysis of the determinants of the success of transitions to democracy based on a combination of qualitative comparative analysis of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia; and hierarchical clustering. The key finding is that one can reveal configurations of several factors which jointly determine either continuous or disrupted transitions t…
Slovenia
Slovenia
Interest Representation and Post-Communist Parliaments over Two Decades
Variations in relationships between interest groups and seven post-communist parliaments (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine) are found to be determined by the constitutional system, the strength of civil society and institutionalisation of the social partnership, as well as by international organisations. Membership in the European Union has strengthened the national executive in relation to both interest grou…
Slovenia
Post‐accession Politicization of National Eu Policy Coordination: The Case of Slovenia
This article focuses on how domestic and EU ‐level political factors affect the functional aspect of the national coordination of EU affairs. Due to the idiosyncrasies of the post‐communist countries which have joined the EU since 2004, an analysis of dynamic changes in the national systems of coordination needs to focus on three factors: (a) functional pressures from the EU ; (b) the consolidation of the national party system; and (c) existing t…
The Intereuro Project: Logic and structure
Europeanisation as a Factor of National Interest Group Political-Cultural Change: The Case of Interest Groups in Slovenia
Based on a social constructivist framing, this article seeks to address the gap in the literature on the impact of Europeanisation on the national interest group political culture in general and in the post-communist context in particular. The impacts of Europeanisation on interest group domestic policy behaviour, in terms of national interest groups networking with their European counterparts, their contacts with EU-level decision makers, and th…
A Typology of Populisms and Changing Forms of Society: The Case of Slovenia
Although there are numerous definitions of populism, the distinction between the different forms of populism in relation to changing forms of societies has not yet been conceptualised. Such a typologisation requires a focus on changes in political paradigms relating to changing forms of societies, and on particular reactions to processes of globalisation. It is argued that adopting this approach can make research more precise both in studying a s…
Who says what to whom? Alignments and arguments in EU policy-making
In the EU multilevel polity, domestic interest groups seek to shape EU legislation by accessing both national and EU institutions. Previous studies indicated that institutional and issue contexts as well as organisational characteristics shape their strategies of interest representation. However, we know much less about how alignments and arguments impact on their participation in EU and national policy consultations. Addressing this gap, we inve…
Collected Essays
An abstract is not available for this content. As you have access to this content, full HTML content is provided on this page. A PDF of this content is also available in through the ‘Save PDF’ action button
Political science (32 works) · Law (29 works) · Law (29 works) · Politics (29 works) · Sociology (27 works) · Economics (17 works) · Political economy (17 works) · Computer Science (15 works) · European Union Policy and Governance (14 works) · Democracy (13 works)