A Lobbyist, Essay Example

A lobbyist must follow strict regulations when lobbying the government regarding a specific concern to be set before government legislators. Lobbyists can be very influential in bringing issues to the forefront and initiating the passing of legislation on those issues. There are various types of lobbyist, such as civic groups, businesses or anyone in the public can be a lobbyist, as well, there are people who are lobbyist by profession (IU, n.d.).

One purpose of lobbying is to persuade politicians to vote on legislation, which means a lobbyist has a special interest in sway political legislation votes in favor of his or her cause. Lobbyists are paid to win the favor of congressional and administration officials, so that they move legislation in favorable directions for their clients. This may include contributing to election campaigns and political parties. Though this may sound like bribery, it is not, as lobbying is legal and carried out in the open (Harris, 2012). However, the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act (HLOGA) of 2007 was passed to ensure ethical rules in lobbying are adhered to. This is why lobbyists are required to follow regulations, where appropriate, when dealing with gifts and donations to political campaigns.

HLOGA penalizes legislators for abusing privileges and requires more frequent disclosure reports from lobbyists, and it lowered required reporting amounts for political contributions. For example, a lobbyist employer must file disclosure reports, on a quarterly basis, that identify hired lobbyists and issued lobbied for or against (IU, n.d.).

Lobbying is big business and there are thousands of people employed as lobbyists whose jobs are to gain influence in Washington through campaign contributions and prodding legislative officials.

References

Harris, G. (2012). A Pocket Guide to Lobbying in the United States. Retrieved from The New York Times: http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/11/a-pocket-guide-to-lobbying-in-the-united-states/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

(n.d.). Policies: Federal Lobbying. Retrieved from Indiana University: http://gov.iu.edu/policies/lobbying/