The Pros And Cons Of Lobbying And Arguments

In a pluralist democracy like in the United States, interest groups have played a major role throughout the history through highly organized factions and are aimed at different levels of government. Lobbying is one of the tactics of the interest groups to aid their agenda through implementing new laws and regulations. "If you want to have your face in the light, you should have your back in the dark". Similarly, the influences of the interests groups and lobbyists have good and bad effects on the people and the society.

According to Milstead, “success in the legislative arena is much like a three-legged stool, with each leg essential to the sturdiness of the stool as a whole” (Milstead, 2013, p. 53). Professional lobbyist, grassroots lobbyist, and money make up the legs of the stool. Effective influencing and persuasion would determine the success of this proposed policy. The three legs of lobbying can be used with obesity advocacy. “Building trusting relationships, demonstrating interest and concern for the public good, and providing information on issues important to the nursing profession are all things that can be done through regular participation in all aspects of the legislative process” (Milstead, 2013, p. 55).

Since the creation of the United States government, political lobbying has played a large role in influencing the creation and modification of laws. The act of lobbying is to solicit or try to influence the votes of members of a legislative body (Dictionary.com). There has always been controversy surrounding the political lobbying system, due to the potential of corruption through bribery. Two important pieces of legislation became laws as a result of this controversy. The Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act of 1946 and the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 were created to prevent potential abuse within the political lobbying system.

The United States has experienced fundamental changes that are dramatically detrimental to democracy. Voters’ ability to define political discourse has been so diminished that even decisive election results like Barack Obama’s in 2012 have little impact. That’s because powerful interests — freed to, in effect, buy elections, unhindered by downsized and diffused media that must rely on revenue from campaign ads — now set the rules of engagement. Lobbying involves working to bring pressure to bear on policy makers to gain favorable policy outcomes. In order to accomplish their goals, interest groups develop a strategy or plan of action and execute it through specific tactics. The particular strategies developed and the specific tactics used, however, vary widely both among and within political

Many controversial topics have surfaced recently, but one that tends to fly under the radar is lobbying. Lobbying is defined as a group of persons who work or conduct a campaign to influence members of a legislature to vote according to a group’s special interests (“Lobby”). Although average citizens are not fully aware of the issue, it is quite contentious in politics. For those who are against it, they believe that restrictions should be placed on lobbying because it distorts democracy. Lobbyists use money and cost-effective strategies to sway the opinions of lawmakers. Others see lobbyists as effective, political tour guides who help pass legislation. An analysis of the lobbying process reveals the outcomes are often

Public interest lobbies form a linkage element between citizens and governmental elites. In lobbying they articulate what they perceive to be the issue positions of certain sectors of society. Public interest groups also play an important role in facilitating the political participation of their members and related attentive publics. By helping to bring new issues to the table, interest groups influence the shape of political agendas.

I feel that money is an important factor to lobbyist whose connection with people at the top is crucial. Representative Lloyd Doggett agrees that in most cases, “All the lobbying is focused on a handful of people at the top”(Wayne, NYT, 10/01/01). It seems to me that major corporations have an easier time

An interest group also known as a special interest group or a lobby is an organized group of individuals, organizations, or businesses who share a goal. The interest group forms an alliance in support of their cause to influence public policy and government officials in the group 's favor. The goal of the group could be focused on small group, such as the Japan Eraser Manufacturer 's Association; or the goal could be focused on a large public group, such as family and friends of public school-aged children in the United States. "The most important lobbying forces in any society are the various entities of government: national, regional, and local government agencies and institutions such as the military" (Thomas).???????????

The first one is lobbying. This the practice of talking with policymakers to persuade them to support a certain legislation. It also includes testifying before congressional committees for or against a proposed legislation (Schmidt, S., et al., 2011, p.151).

The oil and gas industry are affected by political and legal regulations. In 2009, companies in this industry spent at least $154 million on lobbying. The investment in lobbyist is critical to the operation of businesses in this industry. The lobbyist works closely with law makers to help influence their decisions, hoping to allow laws to pass or not pass depending on the needs of the industry. They effectively stalled climate legislation in 2009 that would have driven energy cost higher and forced the oil companies to terminate employees (Mulkeron, 2010).

People are important for the success of democracy. After electing their representatives, some individuals wish to be more involved in legislative decisions that affect them, so they take to lobbying and joining interest groups. This often provides them with an atmosphere of individuals who think like they do, while also allowing them to play more of a role than just voting for a few people to represent them. Lobbying and interest groups also allow for issues to be brought to the attention of the legislature and provide a way for these groups to talk to the legislators, whether it is over dinner or at a concert. By voicing their opinions and placing pressures on the legislation, these groups have become successful in fighting for their passions and their views on important

Sometimes a lobbyist can only get a couple minutes of their time, so the lobbyist must be prepared to make what they are going to say to persuade them fast. Lobbyist usually provide arguments, confirmation, and research to maintain their group situations. Many government officials don’t have time to research the issues themselves, so they depend on the information that interest groups and lobbyists provide to keep them informed and up to speed. Even though persuasion is a very important part of lobbying, interest groups also provide some material incentives to government officials. Also, what wealthy interest groups usually do is contribute to campaigns, and run advertisements to reach their goal. Another useful method interest groups use to accomplish what they want is boycotting, or declining to purchase an organizations

For instance, the practice know as “gaming the system,” in which many large corporations and unions participate, use regulatory bodies to set the rules of business in favor of a particular group. This lobbying would be considered

I learned about more than just the law surrounding a nonprofit’s right to lobby, I learned about the different types of lobbying and how they can be perceived by the public. One issue that seems to create controversy particularly within the nonprofit sector is the idea of special interest lobbying. At some point within my career I may be in a situation in which I am asked to comment on my opinions with regards to special interest lobbying. I will be able to not just have an opinion on the topic but will be able to back my opinion up with the knowledge that I gained in the 655 course. The third document in my learning outcome nine section of my portfolio gives a brief glimpse of what I learned in regards to special interest lobbying and how it differs from any other form of

     We elect politicians on the basis on the issues by which they stand, and these issues are either held up or weakened by the numerous interest groups that exist today. Interest groups target both major and minor issues, using all of their resources to sponsor or overpower the groups’ concern. Interest groups are composed of a limited range of the body of voters who have a great stake in the issues their group support. They make evident the issues their group supports. Their resources are used in an attempt to make their issue public policy. Interest groups are persistent; they do not give up until they succeed. They lobby congress, take legal action,