Lobby and Policy-Making

I have recently had a class about lobbying.

Honestly, my shallow and previous understanding of this activity was to be less community and more “money-oriented”.

Now, I still suspect that money - or "gift exchange"- plays an important role throughout legislature processes but also admit the importance of this activity to reinforce democratic values.

Lobby is commonly defined as having someone advocating a given cause among policy and decision-makers.

Lobbyists are hired based on their procedural knowledge, language ability, and relationships cultivated.

Private companies, for instance, pay them to mitigate damage that a bill may have on profit.

Non-governmental organizations rely on lobbyists to reach legislators by providing factual information on a certain issue. This initiative has proven to be more persuasive than presenting thousands of lists with millions of signatures of angry constituents.

The main point, however, to appreciate the work done by lobbyists is the provision of accurate figures that they introduce to policy-makers in the process of turning bills into laws.

Even well-prepared and hard worker representatives cannot be familiar with every topic they are required to read and vote. Lobbyists, from both sides – in favor and against a given bill – are the ones that decision-makers expect to hear in straightforward testimonies the advantages and disadvantages of a bill from different groups’ standpoints.

As legislators receive organized information, they are able to analyze more critically the issue on display and writing legal compositions that later on will feature more balance among the groups mostly affected by this regulation whenever enforcement is required.

Lobby, therefore, constitutes an activity that the more it is carried out by competent professionals, the more informed decisions public authorities make, and the more communities and other groups enjoy rights protected by the rule of law.

PS. Lobbyists also play an important role in helping local leaders to organize the social network of their communities. They also ensure that decision and policy-makers hear and address collective concerns in a timely manner.