Lobbying Lobbying
Lobbying
Lobbying
Interestgroups can gain access to the legislature and affect policy passedwithout making any monetary contributions through being able tomobilize members through grassroots and local level. The groups canform a powerful political position when they have well laid downchannels of communication. According to Bauer (2015), interest groupscan supplement their lobbying escapades by using local contacts whichcan be supported by an actual mass movement instead of small elitegroups that have been funded by passive supporters. Equally, ademocratic society gives its citizens different politicalalternatives that they can go after whenever the government orprivate actors violates their rights. Given that the interest groupshave access to resources such as free speech and assembly, they canuse them to their advantage to affect policy and access legislation.
Aninteresting piece of information learned from legislators reverselobbying is the fact that campaign/monetary contributions have adirect effect on the outcome of policies. Apart from thecontributions playing a critical role in lowering of taxes andwinning government tenders, they have equally been able to influencetrade policy. Another thing learned is that reverse lobbying canchange policy proposals to the interests of the affluent.
Eventhough lobbying is not successful at all times, the efforts influencelegislative outcomes which can be wasteful, harmful and inefficient.No wonder I never support the current lobbying system. The systemprovides the wealth and powerful with unnecessary influence in thepolitical process. However, proponents of the system argue thatsuccessful lobbying represents interests of minorities, women and theelderly and can be used a resource for petitioning the government.The major winners in this system are the wealthy and powerful in thesociety, and the losers are the good lobbyists advocating for thebest societal interests whose influence is affected by a lack ofsupport.
References
Bauer,T. (2015). Responsible lobbying: the impact of the institutionalcontext. Journalof
GlobalResponsibility, 6(2),148-162.
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