The Role of Lobbyists in America
Lobbyists Are a Necessary Evil in Washington, DC
The first amendment to the Constitution makes clear that it is every American's right "to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." What the Constitutions leaves out is how exactly every American is supposed to excersize that right when understanding how Congress works and how a bill becomes a law can baffle anyone from a CEO to an average Joe.
How Washington Works
What many people who criticize the role of lobbyists fail to realize is how ill-informed many companies, universities and other organization are in the way that Congress and the Administration function. Put simply, many very well-educated men and women have little real idea how Washington works. If one's focus is running a university or a small business, why would one know or care who the chairman of the appropriations committee is or when the committee hears testimony or marks up a bill or if earmarks are more likely in the Commerce bill or Housing bill? How many people know that a tax bill has to originate in the House of Representatives or that authorization bills have to go through additional committees before any funding is provided?
No one seems to complain about people hiring lawyers to guide them through the complex legal process or an accountant to help one understand the tax code. To an outsider, the legislative process can be just as daunting - hence the need to hire a lobbyist. Unfettered access without the middleman is fine if you have any idea what to say when you get there -- and most people don't. Lobbyists are a guide through the morass of legislation.
The Risks of Not Lobbying
While most of the attention (negative that it is) that lobbyists receive is focused on proactive lobbying -- individuals, universities, labor unions or companies asking Congress for something -- many organizations have learned the hard way that not having a presence in Washington can have severe consequences. For example, Microsoft learned this the hard way in the nineties when the Justice Department launched a major anti-trust investigsation against them. In fact, the entire high tech industry switched from a "just leave us alone" stance to full engagement with Washington during that same decade.
Lobbyists are certainly not necessary for everyone, but they are a right Americans have. Some companies have in-house lobbyist, but others hire firms to represent them. It really shouldn't be a question of whether lobbyists are good or bad -- it is all about how one uses them.
The U.S. Capitol
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