lobby groups

(noun)

The act of attempting to persuade a group of people that influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies.

Related Terms

Examples of lobby groups in the following topics:

  • Interest Groups

    • Governments often define and regulate organized group lobbying that has become influential.
    • Governments often define and regulate organized group lobbying.
    • Some powerful lobby groups have been accused of manipulating the democratic system for narrow commercial gain.
    • Lobby groups work to enact a change to the law or the maintenance of a particular law.
    • Some lobby groups have considerable financial resources at their disposal.

  • Indirect Techniques

    • Interest groups, however, do not recruit candidates to run for office.
    • Mobilizing a specific group identified by the lobby puts pressure on the legislature to address the concerns of this group.
    • These tactics are used after the lobbying group gains the public's trust and support through public speaking, passing out flyers, and even campaigning through mass media.
    • Also, lobbying groups have been able to create interactive websites and utilize social media (including Facebook and Twitter) to email, recruit volunteers, assign them tasks, and keep the goal of the lobbying group on track.
    • Identify the indirect techniques used by interest groups to influence legislation

  • Lobbyists and Special Interest Groups

    • Lobbying describes paid activity in which special interest groups argue for specific legislation in decision-making bodies.
    • This group was countered by a strong food lobby backed by Coca-Cola, Del Monte, and makers of frozen pizza.
    • The current pattern suggests much lobbying is done by corporations although a wide variety of coalitions representing diverse groups are possible.
    • Many lobbyists work in lobbying firms or law firms, some of which retain clients outside of lobbying.
    • Others work for advocacy groups, trade associations, companies, and state and local governments.

  • Direct Lobbying

    • Meta-analysis reveals that direct lobbying is often used alongside grassroots lobbying.
    • There is evidence that groups are much more likely to directly lobby previous allies rather than opponents.
    • Allies are also directly lobbied if a counter lobby is brought to light.
    • When groups have strong ties to a legislator's district, they will use a combination of grassroots and direct lobbying, even if the legislator's original position does not support theirs.
    • When strong district ties are not present, groups will rely on direct lobbying with committee allies.

  • Direct Techniques

    • Interest groups from many sectors spend billions of dollars on lobbying.
    • Direct lobbying is often used alongside grassroots lobbying.
    • When groups have strong ties to a legislator's district, those groups will use a combination of grassroots and direct lobbying, even if the legislator's original position does not support theirs, which may help groups expand their coalitions.
    • When strong district ties are not present, groups tend to rely on direct lobbying with committee allies.
    • Identify the direct techniques used by interest groups to influence policy and what groups would use them

  • Single-Issue Interest Groups

    • Interest groups work through advocacy, public campaigns, and even lobbying governments to make changes in public policy.
    • Because of their singular focus these groups are known for the intensity of their lobbying.
    • The organization now lobbies heavily to stop drunk driving as well as supporting the victims of drunk driving and preventing underage drinking.
    • The NRA lobbies in favor of the right of individuals to own and use fire arms.
    • It also lobbies against any laws that its members and leadership see as abridging this right or invading the privacy of gun owners.

  • Mobilizing Public Opinion

    • In 1953, following a lawsuit that included a congressional resolution that authorized a governmental committee to investigate "all lobbying activities intended to influence, encourage, promote, or retard legislation," the Supreme Court narrowly construed "lobbying activities" to mean only "direct" lobbying.
    • Interest groups often cultivate contacts with reporters and editors and encourage these individuals to write editorials and cover stories that will influence public opinion regarding a particular issue.
    • Kollman asserted that this type of outside lobbying is a "powerful tool" for interest group leaders.
    • In a sense, using these criteria, one could consider James Madison as having engaged in outside lobbying.
    • These are often put together by lobbyists who coordinate a variety of interest group leaders to unite behind a hopefully simple, easy-to-grasp, and persuasive message.

  • The Constitutional Right to Petition the Government

    • The ability of individuals, groups, and corporations to lobby the government is protected by the right to petition in the First Amendment.
    • It is protected by the Constitution as free speech; one accounting was that there were three Constitutional provisions which protect the freedom of interest groups to "present their causes to government", and various decisions by the Supreme Court have upheld these freedoms over the course of two centuries .
    • As a result, the legality of lobbying took "strong and early root" in the new republic.
    • Lobbying, properly defined, is subject to control by Congress, . . .
    • It is said that lobbying itself is an evil and a danger.

  • Regulating Executive Branch Lobbyists

    • Most lobbying during the nineteenth century happened within state legislatures.
    • When lobbying did happen, it was often "practiced discreetly" with little or no public disclosure.
    • It became difficult for voters or watchdog groups to monitor this activity since it became harder to follow or even comprehend.
    • Further complicating the relationship between lobbying and the Executive Branch is the fact that it is possible for one level of government to lobby another level.
    • Summarize the key reasons behind the movement of lobbying activity from the state to the federal level

  • Lobbying Scandals and the Reforms of 2007

    • The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 sought to amend and strengthen parts of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995.
    • Details of the bill include closing the revolving door , prohibiting senators from gaining undue lobbying access by increasing the "cooling off" period before they can lobby Congress from one to two years, prohibiting cabinet secretaries and other senior executive personnel from lobbying the department or agency in which they worked for two years after they leave their position, and prohibiting senior Senate staff and officers from lobbying contacts with the entire Senate for one year, instead of just their former employing office.
    • Requires that travel by members financed by outside groups be posted on a searchable, sortable and downloadable website by August 1, 2008.
    • As the former Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services and lobbyist for the Podesta Group in 2009, Ellen Haas represents the revolving door phenomenon that the 2007 lobbying reforms sought to address.
    • Describe the rules that the Honest Leadership and Open Government act put in place to regulate lobbying