Discuss lobbying as a direct method of influencing government policy.

What will be an ideal response?


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.

Political Science

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The reason delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention moved to a federalist system is they recognized the system of government established by the Articles of Confederation was failing

a. true b. false

Political Science

McCulloch v. Maryland

a. ruled in favor of state-centered federalism. b. ruled that slavery was unconstitutional. c. established that the necessary and proper clause gave the national government certain ‘implied' powers. d. established the right of the Supreme Court to judge constitutional issues. e. rejected the "necessary and proper" clause.

Political Science

According to a study released in 1994 by researchers at the ____, 2.8 percent of American men and 1.4 percent of American women identify themselves as homosexual or bisexual

A) University of Texas B) University of Southern California C) University of New York D) University of Chicago E) University of Toledo

Political Science

Which of the following statements is true of the Freedom of Information Act of 1966?

A. It protects the privacy rights of individuals. B. It prevents states from disclosing or selling a driver's personal information without the driver's consent. C. It protects the privacy of medical information. D. It restricts government disclosure of data to third parties. E. It supports the protection, enhancement, and wise use of a person's personal information.

Political Science