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Lobbying is a $3.5 billion industry. By comparison, the U.S. government only spends $2 billion to fund Congress—the very target of the most aggressive lobbying efforts.
In theory, lobbying is an important part of the democratic process, allowing a myriad of interest groups to make their voices heard across a wide array of public policies and government decisions. In practice, however, the lobbying industry has been hijacked by corporations and industry groups who win their lobbying efforts at an 89% clip. In contrast, citizen groups and foundations struggle to win at only a 40% rate. This disparity in policy outcomes exacerbates the already prevalent inequities in our political system, giving more power not to the people, but to the will of the almighty dollar.
To unpack the incredible complexity of lobbying, Ben and Aaron cover the history of how corporations came to dominate Washington, why corporate lobbying is fundamentally unjust, and how this perverse practice undermines the very state of our democracy.
Sources
Opensecrets.org: Lobbying Data Summary
Opensecrets.org: Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison
Opensecrets.org: Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce
Lumen: Interest Groups: Who or what are they?
National Conference of State Legislatures: How States Define Lobbying and Lobbyist
The Atlantic: How Corporate Lobbyists Conquered American Democracy
Politico: Why Lobbying in America is Different
The Business of America is Lobbying: Book by Lee Drutnam
Opensecrets.org: Short, Marc
NPR: Pence Chief Of Staff Owns Stocks That Could Conflict With Coronavirus Response
Investopedia: Why Lobbying is Legal and Important in the U.S.
Brookings Institution: A Better Way to Fix Lobbying
Vox: Capitol Hill’s Revolving Door, In One Chart
Public Citizen: Revolving Congress: The Revolving Door Class of 2019 Flocks to K-Street
Public Citizen: Lobbying Reform
Center for American Progress: 10 Far-Reaching Congressional Ethics Reforms to Strengthen U.S. Democracy