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Lobbyists

Lobbyists. Brainstorm. What strategies can citizens or organizations use to influence how a legislative representative votes on a particular bill. . collecting signatures on a petition, Demonstrating writing or calling representatives meeting with representatives

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Lobbyists

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  1. Lobbyists

  2. Brainstorm • What strategies can citizens or organizations use to influence how a legislative representative votes on a particular bill.

  3. collecting signatures on a petition, • Demonstrating • writing or calling representatives • meeting with representatives • speaking at a town hall forum

  4. What types of messages are communicated to politicians through such actions. How might these activities benefit democracy?

  5. Notes • Actions that seek to influence the defeat or passage of legislation are called, "lobbying.“ • The right to conduct such activities is guaranteed in the First Amendment of the Constitution, which says citizens can, "petition the government for a redress of grievances."

  6. Notes • A lobbyists is a paid professional who understands the system and often have established relationships with key legislators. • In addition to explaining to legislative representatives how potential laws might affect their clients, professional lobbyists also hope to influence the legislative process by attending or hosting fundraisers for candidates, by making political contributions and by offering other perks.

  7. Lobbyists Spending • http://www.pbs.org/moyers/moyersonamerica/infographics/pop_lobbying.html • Describe what trends you see in the table showing total dollars spent per year. • What was spent on lobbying per month in 2005? • Since the year 2000, the number of registered lobbyists in Washington D.C. has doubled to nearly 35,000, which is around 65 lobbyists for every member of Congress.

  8. Ethics for Lobbyists • Ethics rules govern the interactions between congressmen and lobbyists in an effort to keep these elected representatives independent of special interests. • Lobbyist-paid travel is forbidden. • Sponsored trips must be connected to their official duties. • All staffer's trips must be cleared in advance. • No gift of $50 or more may be accepted.

  9. As you watch the video – note which ethics have been violated. • http://www.pbs.org/moyers/moyersonamerica/capitol/index.html

  10. On your paper • Describe the pros and cons of lobbying and the proper role of its place in democracy.

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