Total Lobbying : What Lobbyists Want (and How They Try to Get It)

Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Preface......Page 9 1 Studying Lobbyists and Lobbying......Page 11 LOBBYING: A COMPLEX PHENOMENON......Page 12 The Need for This Book......Page 13 My Approach......Page 14 Lobbying......Page 15 Organized Interest......Page 16 Summary......Page 17 The Interviews......Page 18 Summary......Page 20 What’s Next?......Page 21 1. Many Types of Organized Interests Engage in Lobbying......Page 22 3. Lobbyists Have a Wide Variety of Lobbying Techniques at Their Disposal......Page 26 4. Lobbying = Providing Information......Page 36 5. Institutions – Especially Business Firms – Dominate Lobbying in the United States......Page 39 6. Lobbyists Spend Considerable Time on Nonlobbying Activities......Page 41 7. Lobbyists Sometimes Get What They Want......Page 42 8. Lobbyists Are Neither Whores nor Scoundrels......Page 43 Summary: The Conventional Wisdom on Lobbyists and Lobbying......Page 44 CONCLUSION: WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED ABOUT LOBBYING AND LOBBYISTS......Page 45 3 Public Policy Lobbying, Part One......Page 47 Types of Policy Decisions......Page 48 Two General Observations about the Policy Process......Page 51 Public Policy Lobbyists Represent Organized Interests of All Kinds......Page 52 WHAT PUBLIC POLICY LOBBYISTS DO OTHER THAN LOBBYING......Page 53 Lobbyists Monitor Government......Page 54 Lobbyists Manage Their Clients and Members......Page 61 Summary......Page 65 WHAT PUBLIC POLICY LOBBYING LOOKS LIKE......Page 66 LEGISLATIVE LOBBYING......Page 67 Background Legislative Lobbying......Page 68 Proposal-Specific Legislative Lobbying......Page 71 Summary......Page 77 Lobbying the Chief Executive......Page 78 Lobbying the Bureaucracy......Page 79 GRASSROOTS LOBBYING......Page 84 The Techniques......Page 85 The Information......Page 86 What Information Is Being Conveyed to Public Policymakers?......Page 88 Summary......Page 89 Why Give Money?......Page 90 A Better Way to Buy Access......Page 92 WHAT DOES PUBLIC POLICY LOBBYING LOOK LIKE?......Page 93 Who Lobbies?......Page 94 What Nonlobbying Activities Do Public Policy Lobbyists Engage In?......Page 95 Whom Do Public Policy Lobbyists Target?......Page 97 Which Techniques Do Public Policy Lobbyists Use Most?......Page 99 Which Techniques Are Most Effective?......Page 100 Which Types of Information Do Public Policy Lobbyists Provide?......Page 103 What Determines Whether or Not Public Policy Lobbyists Win?......Page 105 CONCLUSION......Page 110 5 Land Use Lobbying......Page 113 Zoning Basics......Page 115 The Three Main Types of Land Use Decisions......Page 116 Summary......Page 120 Most Land Use Lobbyists Represent Business Firms......Page 121 Many Land Use Lobbyists Are Contract Lobbyists......Page 123 Not All Land Use Decisions Are Accompanied by Lobbying......Page 124 WHAT LAND USE LOBBYISTS DO OTHER THAN LOBBYING......Page 125 Land Use Lobbyists Advise, Inform, and Counsel Landowners and/or Potential Landowners......Page 126 Land Use Lobbyists Consult with Local Government Bureaucrats......Page 128 Land Use Lobbyists Do Paperwork......Page 129 Summary......Page 130 Lobbying the Planning Staff......Page 131 Lobbying for Planning Commission Support......Page 133 Lobbying for Legislative Support......Page 141 Lobbying Local Legislators......Page 142 What Do Neighborhood Associations and NIMBY Groups Do?......Page 146 Where Does Land Use Lobbying Take Place?......Page 147 Who Lobbies?......Page 148 Whom Do Land Use Lobbyists Target?......Page 149 Which Techniques Do Land Use Lobbyists Use Most?......Page 150 Which Techniques Are Most Effective?......Page 151 Which Types of Information Do Land Use Lobbyists Provide?......Page 152 What Determines Whether or Not Land Use Lobbyists Win?......Page 154 CONCLUSION......Page 156 Summary......Page 157 6 Procurement Lobbying......Page 158 The Decision to Purchase Something: The Budget Process......Page 159 Acquisition Procedures......Page 161 Summary......Page 165 Most Procurement Lobbyists Represent Business Firms......Page 166 Many Procurement Lobbyists Are Contract Lobbyists......Page 167 Procurement Lobbyists Help Business Firms Understand and Navigate the Procurement Process......Page 169 Procurement Lobbyists Monitor Government......Page 171 Summary......Page 173 Lobbying Executive Agencies......Page 174 Lobbying the Legislature......Page 183 Summary......Page 190 Who Lobbies?......Page 191 Whom Do Procurement Lobbyists Target?......Page 192 Which Techniques Do Procurement Lobbyists Use Most?......Page 195 Which Techniques Are Most Effective?......Page 196 Which Types of Information Do Procurement Lobbyists Provide?......Page 197 What Determines Whether or Not Procurement Lobbyists Win?......Page 200 CONCLUSION......Page 204 Where Does Lobbying Take Place?......Page 207 What Nonlobbying Activities Do Lobbyists Engage In?......Page 208 Whom Do Lobbyists Target?......Page 209 What Techniques Do Lobbyists Use Most?......Page 210 Which Techniques Are Most Effective?......Page 211 What Types of Information Do Lobbyists Provide?......Page 212 What Determines Whether or Not Lobbyists Win?......Page 214 FINAL THOUGHTS......Page 215 Lobbying Is Often Devoid of Conflict......Page 216 Lobbyists Are Often Exceedingly Cautious......Page 217 Lobbying in America Is Dominated by Business Firms......Page 218 Lobbyists Spend Considerable Time on Nonlobbying Activities......Page 222 Lobbyists Rely Primarily on Personal Meetings......Page 223 Many Lobbying Techniques Are Not Particularly Effective......Page 225 Lobbying = Providing Information......Page 226 For Many Lobbyists, What the Public Wants Matters a Lot......Page 227 THE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM......Page 229 Why This Classification System?......Page 230 Does the Classification System Work?......Page 231 The Classification System: A Summary (and a Problem)......Page 233 The Basic Approach......Page 235 Elite Interviewing as a Methodology: Some Pitfalls and How I Dealt with Them......Page 236 The Nature of the Sample......Page 238 1. STUDYING LOBBYISTS AND LOBBYING......Page 243 2. LOBBYING AND LOBBYISTS IN THE UNITED STATES: A PRIMER......Page 244 3. PUBLIC POLICY LOBBYING, PART ONE......Page 254 4. PUBLIC POLICY LOBBYING, PART TWO......Page 256 5. LAND USE LOBBYING......Page 257 6. PROCUREMENT LOBBYING......Page 260 7. RECAP AND FINAL THOUGHTS......Page 262 APPENDIX B. METHODOLOGICAL NOTES......Page 264 Index......Page 267 Cover 1 Half-title 3 Title 5 Copyright 6 Contents 7 Preface 9 1 Studying Lobbyists and Lobbying 11 LOBBYING: A COMPLEX PHENOMENON 12 The Need for This Book 13 My Approach 14 SOME IMPORTANT TERMS 15 Lobbying 15 Organized Interest 16 Lobbyist 17 Summary 17 DATA AND METHODS 18 The Interviews 18 Summary 20 THE PLAN OF THE BOOK 21 What’s Next? 21 2 Lobbying and Lobbyists in the United States: A Primer 22 AN OVERVIEW OF NINE FINDINGS 22 1. Many Types of Organized Interests Engage in Lobbying 22 2. Lobbying Takes Place at All Three Levels of Government (National, State, and Local) 26 3. Lobbyists Have a Wide Variety of Lobbying Techniques at Their Disposal 26 4. Lobbying = Providing Information 36 5. Institutions – Especially Business Firms – Dominate Lobbying in the United States 39 6. Lobbyists Spend Considerable Time on Nonlobbying Activities 41 7. Lobbyists Sometimes Get What They Want 42 8. Lobbyists Are Neither Whores nor Scoundrels 43 9. Most Lobbyists Are Well-Educated, Well-Paid, Seasoned, White, Male Professionals 44 Summary: The Conventional Wisdom on Lobbyists and Lobbying 44 CONCLUSION: WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED ABOUT LOBBYING AND LOBBYISTS 45 3 Public Policy Lobbying, Part One 47 PUBLIC POLICYMAKING IN THE UNITED STATES 48 Types of Policy Decisions 48 Two General Observations about the Policy Process 51 Summary 52 PUBLIC POLICY LOBBYISTS: BACKGROUND INFORMATION 52 Public Policy Lobbyists Represent Organized Interests of All Kinds 52 Relatively Large Numbers of Public Policy Lobbyists Are In-House Lobbyists 53 Summary 53 WHAT PUBLIC POLICY LOBBYISTS DO OTHER THAN LOBBYING 53 Lobbyists Monitor Government 54 Lobbyists Manage Their Clients and Members 61 Summary 65 WHAT PUBLIC POLICY LOBBYING LOOKS LIKE 66 4 Public Policy Lobbying, Part Two 67 LEGISLATIVE LOBBYING 67 Background Legislative Lobbying 68 Proposal-Specific Legislative Lobbying 71 Summary 77 EXECUTIVE BRANCH LOBBYING 78 Lobbying the Chief Executive 78 Lobbying the Bureaucracy 79 Summary 84 GRASSROOTS LOBBYING 84 The Techniques 85 The Information 86 What Information Is Being Conveyed to Public Policymakers? 88 Summary 89 ELECTORAL LOBBYING 90 Why Give Money? 90 A Better Way to Buy Access 92 Summary 93 WHAT DOES PUBLIC POLICY LOBBYING LOOK LIKE? 93 Where Does Public Policy Lobbying Take Place? 94 Who Lobbies? 94 What Nonlobbying Activities Do Public Policy Lobbyists Engage In? 95 Whom Do Public Policy Lobbyists Target? 97 Which Techniques Do Public Policy Lobbyists Use Most? 99 Which Techniques Are Most Effective? 100 Which Types of Information Do Public Policy Lobbyists Provide? 103 What Determines Whether or Not Public Policy Lobbyists Win? 105 CONCLUSION 110 5 Land Use Lobbying 113 GOVERNMENT REGULATION OF LAND USE: PLANNING AND ZONING 115 Zoning Basics 115 The Three Main Types of Land Use Decisions 116 Summary 120 LAND USE LOBBYISTS: BACKGROUND INFORMATION 121 Most Land Use Lobbyists Represent Business Firms 121 Many Land Use Lobbyists Are Contract Lobbyists 123 Not All Land Use Decisions Are Accompanied by Lobbying 124 Summary 125 WHAT LAND USE LOBBYISTS DO OTHER THAN LOBBYING 125 Land Use Lobbyists Advise, Inform, and Counsel Landowners and/or Potential Landowners 126 Land Use Lobbyists Consult with Local Government Bureaucrats 128 Land Use Lobbyists Do Paperwork 129 Summary 130 LOBBYING TO AFFECT LAND USE DECISIONS 131 Lobbying the Planning Staff 131 Lobbying for Planning Commission Support 133 Lobbying for Legislative Support 141 Lobbying Local Legislators 142 The Public Hearings 146 What Do Neighborhood Associations and NIMBY Groups Do? 146 Summary 147 WHAT DOES LAND USE LOBBYING LOOK LIKE? 147 Where Does Land Use Lobbying Take Place? 147 Who Lobbies? 148 What Nonlobbying Activities Do Land Use Lobbyists Engage In? 149 Whom Do Land Use Lobbyists Target? 149 Which Techniques Do Land Use Lobbyists Use Most? 150 Which Techniques Are Most Effective? 151 Which Types of Information Do Land Use Lobbyists Provide? 152 What Determines Whether or Not Land Use Lobbyists Win? 154 CONCLUSION 156 Summary 157 6 Procurement Lobbying 158 GOVERNMENT BUYING 159 The Decision to Purchase Something: The Budget Process 159 Acquisition Procedures 161 A Word about Simplified Acquisition Procedures 165 Summary 165 PROCUREMENT LOBBYISTS: BACKGROUND INFORMATION 166 Most Procurement Lobbyists Represent Business Firms 166 Many Procurement Lobbyists Are Contract Lobbyists 167 Summary 169 WHAT PROCUREMENT LOBBYISTS DO OTHER THAN LOBBYING 169 Procurement Lobbyists Help Business Firms Understand and Navigate the Procurement Process 169 Procurement Lobbyists Monitor Government 171 Summary 173 LOBBYING TO AFFECT PROCUREMENT DECISIONS 174 Lobbying Executive Agencies 174 Lobbying the Legislature 183 Summary 190 WHAT DOES PROCUREMENT LOBBYING LOOK LIKE? 191 Where Does Procurement Lobbying Take Place? 191 Who Lobbies? 191 What Nonlobbying Activities Do Procurement Lobbyists Engage In? 192 Whom Do Procurement Lobbyists Target? 192 Which Techniques Do Procurement Lobbyists Use Most? 195 Which Techniques Are Most Effective? 196 Which Types of Information Do Procurement Lobbyists Provide? 197 What Determines Whether or Not Procurement Lobbyists Win? 200 CONCLUSION 204 7 Recap and Final Thoughts 207 RECAP OF SUBSTANTIVE FINDINGS 207 Where Does Lobbying Take Place? 207 Who Lobbies? 208 What Nonlobbying Activities Do Lobbyists Engage In? 208 Whom Do Lobbyists Target? 209 What Techniques Do Lobbyists Use Most? 210 Which Techniques Are Most Effective? 211 What Types of Information Do Lobbyists Provide? 212 What Determines Whether or Not Lobbyists Win? 214 Summary 215 FINAL THOUGHTS 215 Lobbying Is Often Devoid of Conflict 216 Lobbyists Are Often Exceedingly Cautious 217 Lobbying in America Is Dominated by Business Firms 218 Lobbyists Spend Considerable Time on Nonlobbying Activities 222 Lobbyists Rely Primarily on Personal Meetings 223 Many Lobbying Techniques Are Not Particularly Effective 225 Lobbying = Providing Information 226 For Many Lobbyists, What the Public Wants Matters a Lot 227 APPENDIX A The Classification System: Public Policy, Land Use, and Procurement Lobbying 229 THE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM 229 Why This Classification System? 230 Does the Classification System Work? 231 The Classification System: A Summary (and a Problem) 233 APPENDIX B Methodological Notes 235 THE APPROACH: ELITE INTERVIEWING 235 The Basic Approach 235 Elite Interviewing as a Methodology: Some Pitfalls and How I Dealt with Them 236 THE SAMPLE OF RESPONDENTS 238 The Nature of the Sample 238 Notes 243 1. STUDYING LOBBYISTS AND LOBBYING 243 2. LOBBYING AND LOBBYISTS IN THE UNITED STATES: A PRIMER 244 3. PUBLIC POLICY LOBBYING, PART ONE 254 4. PUBLIC POLICY LOBBYING, PART TWO 256 5. LAND USE LOBBYING 257 6. PROCUREMENT LOBBYING 260 7. RECAP AND FINAL THOUGHTS 262 APPENDIX A. THE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM 264 APPENDIX B. METHODOLOGICAL NOTES 264 Index 267 This Book Offers A Scholarly Yet Accessible Overview Of The Role Of Lobbying In American Politics. It Draws Upon Extant Research As Well As Original Data Gathered From Interviews With Numerous Lobbyists Across The United States. It Describes How Lobbyists Do Their Work Within All Branches Of Government, At The National, State, And Local Levels. It Thus Offers A Substantially Broader View Of Lobbying Than Is Available In Much Of The Research Literature. Although Tailored For Students Taking Courses On Interest Group Politics, Total Lobbying Offers An Indispensable Survey Of The Field For Scholars And Others Concerned With This Important Facet Of American Politics.--book Jacket. Studying Lobbyists And Lobbying -- Lobbying And Lobbyists In The United States : A Primer -- Public Policy Lobbying, Part One -- Public Policy Lobbying, Part Two -- Land Use Lobbying -- Procurement Lobbying -- Recap And Final Thoughts. Anthony J. Nownes. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 233-255) And Index. Offers an accessible overview of the role of lobbying in American politics. It draws upon extant research and original data gathered from interviews with numerous lobbyists across the United States. It describes how lobbyists do their work within all branches of government, at the national, state, and local levels