Discuss lobbying as a direct method of influencing government policy.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers will vary. Lobbying refers to all of the attempts by organizations or by individuals to influence the passage, defeat, or contents of legislation or to influence the administrative decisions of government. (The term lobbying arose because, traditionally, individuals and groups interested in influencing government policy would gather in the foyer, or lobby, of the legislature to corner legislators and express their concerns.) A lobbyist is an individual who handles a particular interest group's lobbying efforts. Most of the larger interest groups have lobbyists in Washington, D.C. These lobbyists often include former members of Congress or former employees of executive bureaucracies who are experienced in the methods of political influence and who "know people."Lobbying can be directed at the legislative branch of government or at administrative agencies. Lobbying can also be directed at the courts, by filing a lawsuit or an amicus curiae brief. Many lobbyists also work at state and local levels. In fact, lobbying at the state level has increased in recent years as states have begun to play a more significant role in policymaking.