Lobbying
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(Redirected from Lobbyist)
For the South Korean TV series, see Lobbyist (TV series).
For other uses, see Lobby.
Lobbying (also lobby) is the act of attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of officials in a government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by many types of people, associations and organized groups, including individuals in the private sector, corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or advocacy groups (interest groups). Lobbyists may be among a legislator's constituencies, meaning a voter or bloc of voters within his or her electoral district,
or not; they may engage in lobbying as a business, or not. Professional
lobbyists are people whose business is trying to influence legislation,
regulation, or other government decisions, actions, or policies on
behalf of a group or individual who hires them. Individuals and nonprofit organizations can also lobby as an act of volunteering or as a small part of their normal job (for instance, a CEO
meeting with a representative about a project important to his/her
company, or an activist meeting with his/her legislator in an unpaid
capacity). Governments often define and regulate organized group
lobbying that has become influential.
The ethics and morality of lobbying are dual-edged. Lobbying is often spoken of with contempt, when the implication is that people with inordinate socioeconomic power are corrupting the law
(twisting it away from fairness) in order to serve their own interests.
When people who have a duty to act on behalf of others, such as elected
officials with a duty to serve their constituents' interests or more
broadly the public good, can benefit by shaping the law to serve the
interests of some private parties, a conflict of interest
exists. Many critiques of lobbying point to the potential for conflicts
of interest to lead to agent misdirection or the intentional failure of
an agent with a duty to serve an employer, client, or constituent to
perform those duties. The failure of government officials to serve the
public interest as a consequence of lobbying by special interests who
provide benefits to the official is an example of agent misdirection.
In contrast, another side of lobbying is making sure that others' interests are duly defended against others' corruption, or even simply making sure that minority interests are fairly defended against mere tyranny of the majority. For example, a medical association may lobby a legislature about increasing the restrictions in smoking prevention laws,
and tobacco companies lobby to reduce them: the first regarding smoking
as injurious to health and the second arguing it is part of the freedom of choice.
Contents
Etymology
In a report carried by the BBC, an OED lexicographer has shown that "lobbying" finds its roots in the gathering of Members of Parliament and peers in the hallways ("lobbies") of the UK Houses of Parliament before and after parliamentary debates where members of the public can meet their representatives.[1]
One story held that the term originated at the Willard Hotel in Washington, DC, where it was supposedly used by President Ulysses S. Grant
to describe the political advocates who frequented the hotel's lobby to
access Grant—who was often there in the evenings to enjoy a cigar and
brandy—and would then try to buy the president drinks in an attempt to
influence his political decisions.[2] Although the term may have gained more widespread currency in Washington, D.C. by virtue of this practice during the Grant Administration, the OED cites numerous documented uses of the word well before Grant's presidency, including use in Pennsylvania as early as 1808.[2]
The term "lobbying" also appeared in print as early as 1820:[3]
Other letters from Washington affirm, that members of the Senate, when the compromise question was to be taken in the House, were not only "lobbying about the Representatives' Chamber" but also active in endeavoring to intimidate certain weak representatives by insulting threats to dissolve the Union.
— April 1, 1820
Dictionary definitions:
- 'Lobbying' (also 'lobby') is a form of advocacy with the intention of influencing decisions made by the government by individuals or more usually by lobby groups; it includes all attempts to influence legislators and officials, whether by other legislators, constituents, or organized groups.[4][5]
- A 'lobbyist' is a person who tries to influence legislation on behalf of a special interest or a member of a lobby.[6]
Overview
Governments often define and regulate organized group lobbying[7][8][9][10] as part of laws to prevent political corruption and by establishing transparency about possible influences by public lobby registers.
Lobby groups
may concentrate their efforts on the legislatures, where laws are
created, but may also use the judicial branch to advance their causes.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People,
for example, filed suits in state and federal courts in the 1950s to
challenge segregation laws. Their efforts resulted in the Supreme Court
declaring such laws unconstitutional.
They may use a legal device known as amicus curiae,
literally "friend of the court," briefs to try to influence court
cases. Briefs are written documents filed with a court, typically by
parties to a lawsuit. Amines curiae briefs are briefs filed by people or
groups who are not parties to a suit. These briefs are entered into the
court records, and give additional background on the matter being
decided upon. Advocacy groups use these briefs both to share their
expertise and to promote their positions.
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