Lobbying

Lobbying is a form of advocacy that legally attempts to influence policy decisions made by legislators, members of regulatory agencies in the executive branch, or in some cases judges. Lobbying, the main and most well known component of government relations on the other hand, consists of "directly advocating for or against particular legislation or regulations."

The work of advocates and lobbyists generally include activities that require direct contact with lawmakers, policymakers, or their staff; most often professional lobbyists require entry in a lobby register as a registered lobbyist, while most other advocates do not. Although the profession of government relations, as well as the public affairs industry, are not exclusive to lobbyists, it also includes advocates and non-lobbyist government relations professionals that assist lobbyists or other influence efforts but are not legally classified as such. A principal is a person or organization that hires a lobbyist, or is a senior member of an organization or advocacy group that is advocating on behalf of itself or coordinates constituent meetings with lawmakers on behalf of interested individuals from the general public.

History and etymology

In pre-modern political systems, royal courts provided incidental opportunities for gaining the ear of monarchs and their councilors.

That architectural sense of lobby is believed to originate from the medieval Latin lobia or lobium, which refers to a gallery, hall, or portico. This architectural sense was later adopted to describe the practice of advocating or debating in such spaces.

In a report carried by the BBC, an OED lexicographer has shown that "lobbying" finds its roots in the gathering of Members of Parliament and peers in the hallways ("lobbies") of the United Kingdom Houses of Parliament before and after parliamentary debates where members of the public can meet their representatives.

One story held that the term originated at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., where it was supposedly used by President Ulysses S. Grant to describe the political advocates who frequented the hotel's lobby to access Grant—who was often there in the evenings to enjoy a cigar and brandy—and then tried to buy the president drinks in an attempt to influence his political decisions. Although the term may have gained more widespread currency in Washington, D.C., by virtue of this practice during the Grant Administration, the OED cites numerous documented uses of the word well before Grant's presidency, including use in Pennsylvania as early as 1808.