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Outside Lobbying

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inside lobbying is defined as communication or interaction directed at ... publicizing voting records of candidates. endorsing candidates. protesting ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Outside Lobbying


1
  • Session 19
  • Outside Lobbying

2
Inside and Outside Lobbying
  • inside lobbying is defined as communication or
    interaction directed at policymakers or their
    staffs.
  • Inside lobbying involves contacting members of
    Congress directly, testifying before congress,
    etc.
  • outside lobbying is defined as attempts by
    interest group leaders to mobilize citizens
    outside of the policymaking community to contact
    or pressure public officials inside the
    policymaking community.
  • So it includes talking to the press, mobilizing
    group members, organizing letter-writing
    campaigns, hiring public relations firms, etc.

3
Inside Strategies
  • contacting members of Congress or their staffs
    personally (96 of organizations)
  • testifying in Congress
  • presenting research to government
  • contacting agency personnel
  • testifying at agency hearings
  • serving on public advisory boards
  • participating in litigation over policy (22)

4
Outside Strategies
  • talking to the press (76 of organizations)
  • organizing letter writing campaigns
  • presenting research to the press
  • holding press conferences
  • publicizing voting records of candidates
  • endorsing candidates
  • protesting
  • advertising policy positions/issue advocacy
  • contributing personnel to campaigns (6)

5
The Questions
  • Grassroots activity is rarely spontaneous.
    Citizens are mobilized by interest groups.
  • Does the activity confuse elected representatives
    with fabricated messages or does it communicate
    public sentiment accurately?
  • When will an organization use this strategy
    rather than an inside strategy?

6
The Players
  • Interest Groups
  • What type of group?
  • What are the groups resources?
  • What is the organizational structure?
  • The issue?
  • Public opinion?

7
  • Policymakers
  • Re-election goals
  • Adversarial or cooperative relationship with the
    group
  • Constituents
  • Diversity
  • Popularity of the issue

8
Variation, Possibilities, and Examples
  • Letter writing
  • Advertising
  • Targeted efforts
  • Broad scale efforts
  • Business strategy versus labor strategy
  • Standard tactics of professional associations

9
Four Patterns
  • Labor unions and public interest groups use
    outside lobbying more than their business and
    professional counterparts
  • Groups with individuals as members use outside
    lobbying more than groups with organizations as
    members do
  • Groups with local chapters use outside lobbying
    more than groups without some version of a
    federal structure
  • Groups with more resources tend to use outside
    lobbying more, but this varies across tactics

10
The cynical assumption outside lobbying is
slick, artificial, and misleading and it corrupts
the democratic process
  • But this requires three things to be true
  • Policymakers are easily fooled
  • The group can have an influence in the election
    even in the absence of genuine popular support
  • There is some true level of public opinion one
    way or the other
  • An example from labor unions

11
Outside Lobbying and the Three Perspectives
  • Pluralists outside lobbying is associated with
    salience
  • Transactions policymakers will hear from those
    organizations that are wealthy enough to conduct
    an outside lobbying campaign
  • Neopluralists the costs of generating outside
    activity is inversely related to salience
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