"Nothing just happens in politics.

If something happens you can be sure it was planned that way."

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

President of the United States
In theory the political procedure in western societies is very well known.
Parties are democratically elected on a policy platform. Then, they
introduce laws as well as putting these principles into effect. The
legislation is carefully researched, with all interested groups consulted,
followed by a careful framing by experienced legal draughtsmen. MPs
debate principle and examine detail in committees. At the end, the
President or the King/Queen puts his/her name to an Act of Parliament.
Not always so in reality.
The traditions of parliamentary democracies entitle any individual or
group to attempt to influence the decision-making processes of
government, either on their own behalf, or on behalf of others for any
public or private purpose. Those who set out to take advantage of this
entitlement by attempting to persuade politicians and others to a point of
view engage in political representation or issue advocacy or lobbying just three of the terms in use.
This website is an introduction to political communication - or lobbying.

Definitions
Literature reveals a wide choice of definitions and it is worthwhile
beginning with a lobbyists view. Charles Miller argued that lobbying was
the business of advising organizations on understanding, monitoring
and dealing with the system of government (quoted in Moloney, 1997:
173). Millers definition has the important value of portraying lobbying as
a series of discrete but linked activities.
In general, lobbying as defined in literature, and, as carried out in
practice, relates to groups, what they may want and, if government
controls what they want, how they might persuade government to agree
with them.
Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary defines the verb to lobby" in this
way: "to conduct activities aimed at influencing public officials and
especially members of a legislative body on legislation; to promote or
secure the passage of legislation by influencing public officials; to
attempt to influence or sway a public official toward a desired
action." Therefore, lobbying is the advocacy group's effort to promote
or secure passage of their legislative objectives by the legislature.
The UK public relations industry defines lobbying as the specific effort
to influence public decision making either by pressing for change in
policy or seeking to prevent such change (IPR 1994).
In the USA lobbying is seen as the branch of public affairs which is most
closely tied to legislation and more specifically is the act of attempting to
sway legislation, either directly or indirectly, and is explicitly defined
under American law. In IRC 501(c)(3), lobbying is described as "carrying
on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation".
One could furthermore list innumerable similar definitions on lobbying, as
there is not a globally accepted one. However, all professionals and
academics agree that lobbying - whether on behalf of an individual, a
professional organization, a single business or a multi-national corporation
- has two key ingredients: communication and pressure.

WHAT IS A LOBBYIST?
A lobbyist is any person who discusses issues with a member of the
Legislature in the hope of influencing the legislative proceedings.
Therefore, any citizen or member of any organization who discusses a
legislative agenda with a legislator could be considered a lobbyist. In fact,
one need not register as a lobbyist in order to speak to a MP, Minister or
senior civil servant about legislation. In USA, because of the need to
analyze legislative proposals and to deal with members of Congress, many
lobbyists are lawyers with a strong Washington background (Seitel,
1998:407). The same applies to Brussels or London.
In USA Members of Congress can become lobbyists immediately upon
leaving office. Wilcox et al argue that Congress has passed no legislation
restricting the lobbying efforts of former legislators and their chief
aides. The only restriction comes from the Ethics in Government Act,
which forbid government officials from lobbying actively their former
agencies for one year after leaving office (Wilcox et al, 2000:322).
Opportunities are also available for congressional staff members who
know intimately the structure and operations of key committees.
In Europe a lobbyist can be any of the following persons:
A specialist parliamentary liaison consultant.
A public relations consultant.
An MP.
A trade association director.

WHAT DO LOBBYISTS DO?

Many PR theorists argue that the term of lobbying refers to a big range
of different activities, which can be coupled and decoupled into patterns
best suited to achieve intended objectives or goals. Moloney (2000: 113)
has argued that the tasks lobbyists do can be broken down into four
components: the supply of information about policy development, the
supply of administrative support, the supply of policy advice, and the
supply of access to policy-makers. Harrison (2000: 170) has pointed out
that although lobbying at the highest levels may mean mixing with the
famous and powerful, most lobbying activity is not so exciting as it
involves painstaking research of some of the worlds dullest documents.
In general their work can be grouped in the following categories:
monitoring of legislative processes and the political ones concerning
the sphere of client's actions as well as the directions of competition's
actions and actions of groups of interests that are contradictory to
the client's interest
counseling in issues connected with dangers and possibilities resulting
from the development of legal or political situation
strategic counseling with regard to how to act and react; specification
of strategic partners and allies, and appointment of people responsible
for taking decisions in administration and politicians' circles
establishing a duration and a choice of appropriate arguments
(orally/in writing) during the realization of a campaign.

WHO IS ENGAGED IN LOBBYING?

Mark Cober-Smith, a successful lobbyist and author believes that
lobbying is a simple process-it is asking people to do what you want. Since

they often say no, the trick is to turn that no into a yes. In a way,
lobbying is like chess or other games of strategy. You have to guess what
the other side will do and try to outwit or outmanoeuvre them (CoberSmith, 2000:2)
If we look at lobbying as a game we need to see who is in the game in
order to apply the right strategy.
The players are:
firms
groups of interests
representatives of regions or council authorities
law firms
politicians
specialized advisory firms in the field of public affairs
the media
the Civil Service
Although the public perceives that only those with enough money can
indulge in political lobbying it should be remembered that political and
parliamentary public relations is a very broad term (Jefkins, 1994: 409).
Especially in USA lobbyists represent a variety of special interests, which
include corporations and trade groups, unions, environmental groups, local
governments, nonprofit groups, school districts, and members of various
professional groups. Wilcox et al (2000: 320) bring up the example of
Fortune magazine, which despite the fact that it is a small business,
ranked the top 25 lobbying groups in Washington in terms of influence.

WHY LOBBY IN EUROPE?

In Europe lobbying stretches beyond national politics to those of the EU
in Brussels. In fact lobbying in Brussels has become increasingly

important to all commercial concerns and proper attention is now being

paid to it. Douglas Smith argues that over half UK legislation starts in
Brussels and the areas covered are considerable and fast growing (Smith,
1995a: 114).
Decisions taken in the framework of the EU can have an enormous impact
on every sector of society. For particular branches of industry, a decision
may necessitate a radical change in operational management.
Organizations like those in the environmental movement may also profit
by certain decisions to achieve their objectives. In order to influence
decision-making in their favour, many organizations try to influence the
process so that the outcome may benefit them.
In the last few years, many lobby groups have descended on Brussels.
There are groups that promote a particular public interest, e.g., human
rights, or groups that promote the interests of the people they
represent, e.g. the elderly. Big companies sometimes have an office of
their own; often they are internationally united per branch. There are
also commercial bureaus that offer their services for payment.

Lobbying in Brussels.
Good lobbyists are familiar with the Brussels labyrinth and know when to
be where and what to do.
Usually, a decision of the European Parliament starts with the work of a
single MEP. The parliamentarian that is responsible for writing the first
draft of a report is called the rapporteur and the report is usually named
after him or her.
Any rapporteur has a certain political background. But all parties in the
Parliament would like to have a say in the matter. Therefore, they appoint
"shadow rapporteurs", MEPs from other political groups than the
rapporteur, who monitor the report for their respective political groups.
Lobbyists make their view known to the rapporteur and the shadows by
means of a short, well argued note in a language they understand and try
to arrange a meeting or other contact. If they are not able to influence
the draft in this way, they prepare good amendments and find an MEP
who will introduce them in the committee. Deadlines are very strict.
Finally, they advise all members of the committee on how they would like
them to vote on ALL the amendments - and why they should do so.

GRASS-ROOTS LOBBYING
Lobbying is classified as either direct or grass roots. Direct lobbying is
any attempt to influence legislation by communicating with the legislative

body. Grass roots lobbying intends to influence legislation by affecting

the opinions of members or the general public.
Grass-roots lobbying has been particularly fashionable and effective in
recent years and especially in the USA. What made it so attractive to
various groups was the fact that there were virtually no rules or
regulations. Practically everyone can practice grass-roots lobbying.
Tenants organizations, neighborhood associations and various other
groups won significant concessions from government and corporate
bodies. Seitel (1998:409) pointed out that in one of the most successful
campaigns in history, a massive grass-roots coalition beat back Presidents
Clintons energy tax in 1993.
The tools of such lobbying are advocacy advertising, toll-free phone lines,
bulk faxing, websites, and computerized direct mail aimed at generating
phone calls and letters from the public to Congress, the White House, and
government regulatory agencies.

LOBBYING VS PR
There is a big debate in public relations and lobbying literature on
whether lobbying is a contemporary manifestation of modern PR. Jefkins

(1994) argues that lobbing is an important public relations activity and he

sides with the trend, which sees lobbying as political PR and as distinct
from the more diplomatic kind, reminding that not all lobbying is
diplomatic stuff behind closed doors, but can benefit from the glare of
media coverage. Indeed PR regards lobbying as a specialism, as the tools
which lobbyists use are those of other public relations professionals:
news releases, reports, conferences and special events, newsletters,
issue advertising and so on.
In addition LEtang (1996:30) refers to PR as the lubricant, which makes
the segments of an order work together with the minimum friction, and
misunderstanding, a definition that also covers the term of lobbying as it
involves communications for negotiation and compromise between
interests.
However, many professional lobbyists reject their inclusion in public
relations, preferring euphemisms such as government relations, political
communications and public affairs specialists (Moloney, 2000: 113). They
see their activities as having little or nothing to do with public relations
as such. I will side with Smith (1995b: 100) who argues that those groups
of lobbyists are in error. Media pressure is a key factor in the success of
the lobbying campaigns and lobbying activity calls not only for a clear
analysis of problems and opportunities, but also for effective
communication of the messages to the media. And if proper handling of
the media is not part of public relations, one might be interested to know
what is (ibid).

TIPS FOR LOBBYING

What makes for successful lobbying? The answer is that there is no

foolproof recipe, no decisively correct way of advancing an idea, a cause
or an interest. Martin Smith (1986: 3) in his paper Lobbying: an
Introduction to Political Communication in the UK argues that judgments
in particular cases always depend on the nature of the objective, the
prevailing political conditions and the resources available. However, there
are right and wrong ways of going about things, and this website will
outline some of the strategies skills and rules for successful lobbying.
TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL LOBBYING
Don't be intimidated by the thought of approaching elected officials.
State legislators especially are receptive to constituent comments.
Be concise. Your message should be short and direct. It is fine to
express your personal opinion.
Use all available resources. Request position papers, fact sheets, or
other documentation. You don't need to be an expert, but the more facts
and arguments you have on your side, the better.
Personalize your appeal. Tell how you are concerned about an issue and
how it affects you, your family, and your community.
Cultivate legislative staff. Establish a positive relationship with staff
persons. They are usually more accessible and can have tremendous
influence over an issue.
Be honest. If you don't know the answer to something, admit it and try
to get the information later. Also, when working with legislators who
sponsor your bill, be sure to be up front about any potential problem
areas.
Research your legislators. Ask around, talk to others who have worked
for legislative change - on any issue - and ask their advice on which
legislators are most effective or which committees are most likely to
approve of your bill.
Identify your bill or issue clearly. Whenever you get a chance to lobby
elected officials, don't just refer to your effort by the bill number. And
always make it clear whether you are asking for their support or
opposition to the matter.
During the legislative session, constantly check your bill's status.
Most legislative entities have a bill status information office. At certain
times, action occurs quickly and with little notice.
Keep things friendly. Maintain a positive relationship with all legislators they may be in this office or a higher one for decades. Threats and
hostile or sarcastic remarks are not productive. Do not create any
enemies.

Be flexible. Sometimes compromise is a must. Support legislative

strategies that may save an otherwise doomed bill: adoption of sunset
provisions, grandfathering clauses, and placing provisions into regulations
instead of statute.
Express gratitude. Thank everyone and let your members know how
helpful key legislators were in your success.

Sources:
http://www.democracyctr.org/lobbying.html
ODwyerss PR Services Report, June 1996, p.12 quoted in Wilcox et al (2000:325)
Cindy Skrycki, Possible Leaders abound in Business Community The Washington Post
(January 24,1988) quoted in Seitel (1998:411)

SOURCES - LINKS
BOOKS AND ARTICLES

Harrison, S., Public Relations: An Introduction, 20002, Thomson

Learning.
Jefkins, F., Public Relations Techniques, 19942, Butterworth
Heinemann.
Kober Smith, M., Legal Lobbying: How to Make your Voice Heard ,
2000, Cavendish Publishing Ltd.
L Etang, J. Pieczka, M., Critical Perspectives in Public Relations,
1996, Routledge.
Moloney, K, Lobbyists for Hire, 1994, Dartmouth.
Moloney, K., Government and Lobbying Activities, in Kitchen, P. J.,
Public Relations: Principles and Practice, 1997, International Thomson
Business Press.
Moloney, K., Rethinking Public Relations: the Spin and the Substance,
2000, Routledge.
Seitel, F. P., The Practice of Public Relations, 19987, Prentice Hall.
Smith, D., Parliamentary and European Union Relations, in Hart, N.
A. (ed.), Strategic Public Relations, 1995(a), Macmillan Business.
Smith, D., Parliamentary Relations and Lobbying, in Black, S (ed.),
The practice of Public Relations, 1995(b), Butterworth Heinemann.
Smith, M., Lobbying: An Introduction to Political Communication in
UK, 1990, Countrywide Political Communications.
Willcox, D.L Ault, P.H. Agee, W.K. Cameron, G. T., Public
Relations Strategies and Tactics, 20006, Longman.

LINKS
http://www.democracyctr.org/lobbying.html

http://www.opensecrets.org/pubs/ lobby98/

http://www.ss.ca.gov/prd/lexp

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/in_depth/business/2000/microsoft/