Lobbying: The Influence Industry
How lobbying works, why it is both protected and problematic, and the revolving door between government and industry.
The Lobbying Industry
Lobbying — the act of attempting to influence government decisions — is protected by the First Amendment's right to petition the government. In practice, it is a multi-billion dollar industry. Roughly $4 billion is spent on federal lobbying annually in the United States, employing around 12,000 registered lobbyists.
Lobbyists provide legislators with information, draft legislation, organize grassroots campaigns, and facilitate fundraising. The most effective lobbying is often invisible to the public: a former congressional staffer who now works for a pharmaceutical company calls their old colleagues to explain why a proposed regulation would be problematic. This 'revolving door' — where officials move between government and the industries they regulated — is one of the most criticized features of the system.
