I want what you want! Negotiating the public interest in lobbying and public affairs

Purpose This paper aims to examine the development of public interest topics by public affairs practitioners and how politicians evaluate these arguments. Design/methodology/approach The study utilizes the rhetorical theory of topos and theories of the public interest. It consists of 30 interviews with lobbyists and politicians in Norway’s energy and environment sector. Findings Lobbyists adapt their arguments to align with politicians’ preferences, combining multiple public interest topics. This strategy is effective due to politicians’ uncertainty in balancing competing public interest claims in a pluralistic society. Research limitations/implications The study’s scope is limited to Norway’s energy and environment sector. Practical implications The insights from this study can assist practitioners in effectively presenting arguments aligned with politicians’ perceptions of public interest. Social implications Understanding the process of developing and evaluating public interest topics can lead to more informed decision-making in democratic societies, ensuring policies and proposals align with widely shared social goals. Originality/value The study covers how politicians perceive lobbyists’ public interest arguments, which have been neglected in previous studies.