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Lobbying: Congress and Interest Groups

Lobbying: Congress and Interest Groups. Lobbyists Who are they?. Difficult to define exactly 1 st Amendment issues Generally, three types Business groups Citizens Groups Governmental Groups (federal, state, & local) 70% Business/30% other Revolving Door – new limits.

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Lobbying: Congress and Interest Groups

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  1. Lobbying: Congress and Interest Groups

  2. LobbyistsWho are they? • Difficult to define exactly • 1st Amendment issues • Generally, three types • Business groups • Citizens Groups • Governmental Groups (federal, state, & local) • 70% Business/30% other • Revolving Door – new limits

  3. LobbyistsHow many are there? • Again, difficult to define exactly • Pluralistic governance • Everyone can be a (part-time) lobbyist • 22,400 associations in 2003 • 5,000 with representatives in D.C. • >18,000 individuals employed as lobbyists

  4. How Do They Work? • Remember, it’s not all about Congress • Increased Bureaucratic Participation • Coordination between interest groups • Work to affect the agenda • Bill introduction/drafting • Gate-keeping (keeping items off agenda) • Targets: Committees and Leaders

  5. Inside Lobbying • Mostly Informational • Clients may want to know what is happening • Members want information about constituents • Members want information about legislation • Coordination (Electoral and Policy Goals) • Raw influence/bribery rarely observed • Does it happen? • Probably, but probably affects some policy areas less than others

  6. Outside Lobbying • Mobilizing support among voters • Demonstrating that support to Members • Grassroots v. Astroturf • Members care about how much constituents care about the issue • Groups can achieve unrealistic “levels of support” that Members discount • The internet is changing the world of outside lobbying

  7. Inside v. Outside • Inside costs $ • Need professional lobbyists • Some organizations can’t do this legally • Outside requires costly effort • Must have a true constituency • Hard to have an effect if the issue is “narrow” • Not mutually exclusive • Opposed groups tend to pursue both.

  8. Regulation of Lobbying • 1st Amendment concerns • No real attempt to regulate until 1946 • Essentially declared unconstitutional in 1954 • “Principal purpose” requirement • Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 • Lobbyists of Congress and Bureaucracy • Threshold of time spent on lobbying • Lobbyists foreign interests have to register • Semiannual reporting requirements

  9. Regulation, Continued • Earmarks • Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 • House and Senate Rules • “Revolving door” concerns

  10. Internal Organization • Caucuses • More important and prevalent in House (90%) • Legislative Service Organizations • Offered resources, received office space, received dues from Members • Banned in 1995 • Congressional Member Organizations • Limited version of LSOs, less discretion, no dues.

  11. Subgovernments & Iron Triangles • Lobbying and Distributive Politics • Three Sides • Organized Interest • Dairy Farmers • Standing Committee(s) • Argiculture Committees in House & Senate • Executive Agency • U.S. Department of Argiculture • Unorganized Interest (consumers) doesn’t care “enough” to notice biased policy (inflated milk prices) • Arguably accurate from 1930s through 1960s.

  12. Issue Networks • Broader interest groups • Coalitions form, pursue “big” agenda items • Rise in late 1960s, why? • Citizens’ groups become more active in DC • Policy change (LBJ’s Great Society, environmental movement, etc) • Committee Upheaval • Southern Democrats • Legislative Reorganizations of early 1970s

  13. Overview • Are Organized Interests too powerful • Depends on which interest you support • Business interests seem overrepresented • Are they? • Lobbying as listening v. Lobbying as influencing • Business interests are surprisingly broad • Businesses can’t vote or contribute to candidates • Lobbying is more centralized now • Federal policies matter more now • Internet & outside lobbying • More information for Members

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