Lobbying

THE ROOTS OF the word lobby go back to the days when people, who wanted to meet and talk with Members of Parliament in Britain would gather in the entry hall, the lobby, of the British House of Commons. [Page 285]Over time, the word has been most commonly used to refer to in-person contact between legislators and interest-group representatives.

While the most literal definition of lobbying would include only face-to-face contact with elected members, more generally it has come to also include contact with the bureaucracy, courts, and the president as well as the legislature. More broadly still, it has been used to refer to grassroots campaigns, mass media promotions, and the dissemination of research reports. The most basic definition then would be efforts to influence the formation or implementation of public policy. Most interest-group scholars consider lobbying to be an activity undertaken by professionals on behalf of a representative constituency. Thus, individuals contacting their government representative to comment on policy are not considered lobbyists.

The federal Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 defines lobbying activities as “lobbying contacts and efforts in support of such contact, 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.” It defines lobbying contacts as “any oral or written communication … to a covered executive branch official or a covered legislative branch official that is made on behalf of a client….” Covered officials are those in a policy position including congressional and presidential staff. This definition excludes official testimony before Congress, indirect efforts through the media, filings before the court (such as amicus briefs), and responses to requests for comments published in the Federal Register.

Scores of studies of interest groups and lobbying have determined that the influence of a political interest group is a result of factors such as: group organization and structure; leadership skill; cohesion; its symbolic public status; its power status and bargaining potential vis-à-vis other interest groups; its political strategy; its ability to enlist political support; and its ability to influence mass opinion and/or mobilize members. Specific organizational factors include size, wealth and expertise. Sheer numbers are a contributing factor, perhaps in granting an organization moral authority when it claims that it speaks for an interest in society. Organizationally, the more staff that an organization can devote to its activities the better its capacity to lobby. A lobbyist acting on his or her own will be unable to contact more legislators than will a team of lobbyists. However, organizations may be able to overcome these deficiencies by operating within a coalition. Wealth is also considered to be key to success as the wealthier a lobby, the more likely it is that it has more access. Groups will differ significantly with respect to these qualities.

Decision makers need information in order to make policy, but what they need in particular is accurate, quality information. Credible information reduces the risk of pursuing inappropriate policy. The credibility of an interest group may be dependent upon the character of the group (bias and reputation), the character of the information (completeness), and the dissemination strategies (lobbying and protesting).

...