Lobbyists Essay ⋆ Environment Essay Examples ⋆ EssayEmpire

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Lobbyists are individuals and groups organized to influence legislation or administrative action on legal, political, economic, environmental, and other issues. Lobbyists are advocates in the public policy arena who present themselves as providers of reliable information, analysis, and assessment relevant to legislators and government for informed and balanced decision making.

Lobbyists then and Now

The term lobbyist was first used in the mid-17th century. Citizens gathered in a large lobby near the British House of Commons to express their views to members of Parliament. In the early 19th century, the term lobby-agent was used in the United States, where it was applied to citizens seeking legislative favors in the New York Capitol lobby. By 1832 lobby-agent had been shortened to lobbyist and was widely used on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The term lobbying is claimed to date from the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant, who used to drink brandy and smoke cigars while relaxing in the lobby of the Willard Hotel, where he was often approached by those seeking favors.

The process of lobbying allows for competition among diverse interest groups. The All American League of Lobbyists lists the principal elements of lobbying as: researching and analyzing legislation or regulatory proposals; monitoring and reporting on developments; attending congressional or regulatory hearings; working with coalitions interested in the same issues; and educating not only government officials but also employees and corporate officers as to the implications of various changes. Lobbying is part of any democratic society and may take many forms including organizing petitions, running public relations campaigns, writing letters to the editor, or making telephone calls to public officials.

In order to prevent political corruption, lobbying in Western countries is regulated by law. The right “to petition the government for a redress of grievances” is protected in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In the United States, where the Congress dominates the legislative function, professional lobbyists represent interest groups and associations. The Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act (1946) requires that lobbyists register and report financial contributions they receive and their expenditure and that groups whom they represent make similar reports. Lobbyists representing foreign interests are required to register with the Department of Justice.

Many lobbyists are former politicians, government officials, or senior public servants. In the United States, the number of Members of Congress who turn to lobbying as a profession after they leave the legislature has increased in recent years. Only three percent of those who left Congress in the 1970s became lobbyists in Washington, but the figure increased to 12 percent in the 1980s, and by the 1990s, it had risen to 22 percent. Analysis shows that at least 128 former members of Congress were working as lobbyists in 2005.

In 1995 a ban was imposed upon former Members and most staff, preventing them from lobbying their former colleagues for one year after they left the Hill. This ban does not, however, prohibit them from devising strategies and then sending others employed by their firms to do the direct lobbying.

While lobbyists in the United States target the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, and state legislatures, lobbyists in the European Union (EU) focus primarily on the institutions and organizations of the EU. The European Commission estimated in 1999 that approximately 3,000 special-interest groups of varying types are based in Brussels, with up to 10,000 employees working in the lobbying sector.

Groups involved in active lobbying differ in relation to origin, size, and performance. They can also be seen in terms of “inside” or “outside” lobbyists, depending on their target audience. “Inside” lobbyists aim to influence politicians and legislators inside the legislature, while “outside” or “grassroots” lobbyists focus on changing public opinion. More than 6,000 lobbyists are registered in Washington, D.C. They lobby on behalf of 40,000 clients, including doctors, senior citizens, foreign governments, and religious organizations, as well as environmental public interest organizations and industries affected by environmental issues.

Environmental Lobbying

Environmental organizations combine inside and grassroots actions. Since the establishment of the first lobbying groups, which were concerned with the pollution that arose from industrial development and urbanization in the late 19th century, directprotest actions have been merged with the lobbying of policy makers and political representatives. The objective of environmental lobbying is to influence the government leaders and influential persons in the community and to change public opinion.

The environmental community in the United States can claim many victories as result of both lobbying and coalition building, such as the Clean Water Act (1990). There are 12 major environmental organizations lobbying on issues at the national level. Studies of environmental lobbying indicate the mainstream Sierra Club (700,000 members) prefers grassroots action, while the more radical Earth First! (15,000 members) prefers to use 1960s-style protest and street theater to avoid the strategy of lobbying Congress directly. The Environmental Defense Fund (150,000 members) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (125,000 members) prefer legal action and employing lawyers to lobby and litigate.

One of the most influential environmental organizations, Greenpeace-with a presence in 40 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific and 2.8 million supporters worldwide-has built its powerful organization by emphasizing direct action rather than lobbying. It and other transnational environmental organizations, such as the World Wildlife Fund or Friends of Earth, use research, lobbying, and diplomacy, as well as nonviolent protest, to raise the level and quality of public debate and influence governments to work harder for environmental well-being. Activists lobby government officials in diverse countries and try to influence state officials at international conferences and other forums to support environmental protection measures. Centralized coordination of international campaigns makes possible the exchange of information and expertise while simultaneously supporting lobbying at the global level.

Lobbyists, no doubt, have a significant impact on the legislative process, whether they come from industry, the environmental community, or science. But many say the way lobbying is done needs improvement. There is a call for campaign finance reform, stricter disclosure laws so the public knows where a campaign’s money is coming from, and restrictions on former government officials and employees becoming lobbyists. Despite the imperfections, there seems to be a consensus that lobbyists have a legitimate role to play in environmental policy making in forums such as Capitol Hill or the European Parliament.

Bibliography:

Jill Abramson, “The Business of Persuasion Thrives in Nation’s Capital,” New York Times, (p. A22, September 29, 1998);
Timothy Doyle and Doug McEachern, Environment and Politics (Routledge, 1998);
Masashi Sekiguchi, , Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS, 2003);
Paul Wapner, Environmental Activism and World Civic Politics (State University of New York Press, 1996);
Paul Wapner, “Politics beyond the State: Environmental Activism and World Civic Politics,” in Ken Conca and Geoffrey Dabelko, eds., Green Planet Blues (Westview Press, 2004).