lobby

(verb)

To attempt to influence (a public official or decision-maker) in favor of a specific opinion or cause.

Related Terms

Examples of lobby in the following topics:

  • Direct Lobbying

    • A common use of direct lobbying is to persuade the general public about a ballot proposal.
    • Communications regarding a ballot measure are also considered direct lobbying.
    • Direct lobbying is different from grassroots lobbying, a process that uses direct communication with the general public, which, in turn, contacts and influences the government.
    • Meta-analysis reveals that direct lobbying is often used alongside grassroots lobbying.
    • Allies are also directly lobbied if a counter lobby is brought to light.

  • Direct Techniques

    • There are three lobbying laws in the U.S. that require a lobbying entity to be registered, allow nonprofit organizations to lobby without losing their nonprofit status, require lobbying organizations to present quarterly reports, places restrictions on gifts to U.S.
    • Lobbying is a common practice at all levels of legislature.
    • Direct lobbying is often used alongside grassroots lobbying.
    • The top sectors for lobbying as of 2010 are financial, insurance, and real estate, with $4,405,909,610 spent on lobbying.
    • Another aspect to the law is the spending restrictions between direct lobbying and grassroots lobbying—no more than 20% can be spent on grassroots lobbying at any given time, while 100% of the lobbying expenditures can be on direct lobbying.

  • Indirect Techniques

    • Grassroots lobbying, or indirect lobbying, is a form of lobbying that focuses on raising awareness for a particular cause at the local level, with the intention of influencing the legislative process.
    • The unique characteristic of grassroots lobbying, in contrast to other forms of lobbying, is that it involves stimulating the politics of specific communities.
    • Lobbying is protected by the First Amendment rights of speech, association, and petition .
    • Federal law does not mandate grassroots lobbying disclosure, yet 36 states regulate grassroots lobbying.
    • The First Amendment rights of free speech, freedom of association, and freedom of petition protect lobbying, including grassroots lobbying.

  • Lobbyists and Special Interest Groups

    • When people think about lobbying, they often imagine corruption and poor policy results.
    • Lobbying does not always have such deleterious effects.
    • Many lobbyists work in lobbying firms or law firms, some of which retain clients outside of lobbying.
    • One study found that the actual number of firms which do lobbying regularly is fewer than 300, and that the percent of firms engaged in lobbying was 10 percent from 1998-2006.
    • Corporations considering lobbying run into substantial barriers to entry: Corporations have to research the relevant laws about lobbying, hire lobbying firms, and cultivate influential people and make connections.

  • The Constitutional Right to Petition the Government

    • As a result, the legality of lobbying took "strong and early root" in the new republic.
    • In 1953, after a lawsuit involving a congressional resolution authorizing a 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–which the Court described as "representations made directly to the Congress, its members, or its committees".
    • Lobbying, properly defined, is subject to control by Congress, . . .
    • It is said that lobbying itself is an evil and a danger.
    • Supreme Court has protected lobbying as free speech in numerous rulings since the early republic.

  • 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.
    • 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.
    • Grant was in office during a period of more intense lobbying in the federal government between 1869 and 1877.
    • Summarize the key reasons behind the movement of lobbying activity from the state to the federal level

  • Regulating Congressional Lobbyists

    • Many of the laws and guidelines are specified in the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995.
    • According to the Lobbying Disclosure Act, several authorized definitions include: Lobbying activities means "lobbying contacts and efforts in support of such contacts, including preparation and planning activities, research and other background work that is intended, at the time it is performed, for use in contacts, and coordination with the lobbying activities of others. " Lobbying contact means "any oral or written communication (including an electronic communication) to a covered executive branch official or a covered legislative branch official."
    • Requirements for registering also apply to companies that specialize in lobbying, or ones that have an in-house lobbyist, particularly if they spend more than $11,500 on lobbying.
    • The resulting Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act (1946) governed lobbying rules up until 1995 when the Lobbying Disclosure Act replaced it.
    • Describe the key difficulties that make the regulation of lobbying activity challenging

  • The Reforms of 1995

    • The Lobbying and Disclosure Act of 1995 was legislation aimed at bringing a level of accountability to federal lobbying practices in the United States.
    • The Lobbying and Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. § 1601) was legislation aimed at bringing a level of accountability to federal lobbying practices in the United States.
    • Any organization that contributes more than $10,000 towards lobbying activities must also be registered.
    • The register must also include a statement of what issues the registrant expects to lobby or what may have already been lobbied.
    • Summarize the content and effectiveness of the lobbying reforms of 1995

  • Mobilizing Public Opinion

    • Increasingly, lobbyists seek to influence politics by putting together large coalitions and using outside lobbying to sway 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.
    • The Court defined this "direct" method of lobbying as "representations made directly to the Congress, its members, or its committees".
    • 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.

  • Interest Groups

    • Lobbying (also lobby) is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government .
    • The ethics and morality of lobbying are dual-edged.
    • Governments often define and regulate organized group lobbying.
    • As a result, lobbying has become increasingly regulated.
    • The Lobby of the House of Commons, painted in 1886 by Liborio Prosperi.