Abstract
This chapter provides a mosaic telling the story of seminal events in the history of US political lobbying. Lobbying is defined here as an individual, group, organization or corporation that seeks to directly or indirectly influence the voting of government officials. It is also the act of educating a legislator on an issue related to the interests of lobbyists and/or the organization for which they work. It begins with an example of the “citizen lobbyist” and then offers a synopsis of principles and practices of lobbyists in Washington, DC. Next it provides an overview of lobbying’s deep history; included are four “periods” illustrating lobbying’s foci. Reflections on the lobbying as the “third house” come next, followed by discussion of costs and benefits of “corporate lobbying.” The chapter widens its focus with commentary on the current history of international lobbyists. It concludes discussing lobbying in today’s new/social media environment. Readers will have a kaleidoscopic overview of the many pieces that combine to form the history of political lobbying and its ethical challenges.
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Downes, E.J., Supa, D.W., Austin, E. (2017). Political Communications and Lobbying in the United States. In: Watson, T. (eds) North American Perspectives on the Development of Public Relations. National Perspectives on the Development of Public Relations. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95044-7_8
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