| In most institutional settings contending parties try to influence the decisions and behavior of their rivals or a policymaker. Consequently, most policy outcomes are invariably a result of such interaction between the political protagonists. In this dissertation I examine the impact of influence activities in a variety of settings. The first two chapters establish, theoretically and empirically, the relationship between elections and politically motivated violence. The next chapter evaluates policy formation when a policymaker, whose preferences are not known with certainty, is subject to pressure from special interest groups. The final chapter examines public good provision by NGOs who compete with each other for public funds. |
