What is a lobby group?

Question

and what do they do?

Thanks

Answer 1

It is a group that tries to sell Congress (or State Legislatures) on their point of view with regard to specific issues and to influence their votes on bills that affect them. These groups include industries, companies or interest groups (such as environmental or groups like AARP, NRA or professional associations). You as an individual can lobby Congress by writing letters.

They put out position papers (listing the pros and cons of various regulations and legislation) and they send out lobbyists to meet legislators on an individual basis, sort of like sales reps. They also testify at hearings. On the down side, they sometimes do favors or provide gifts for people, and this can be unethical at times.

Answer 2

"Lobbyist" is a term coined by Ulysses S. Grant, when he was President. He liked to smoke a cigar and take the occasional drink of whiskey in the lobby of the Willard Hotel, which is just up Penn Ave from the White House. He was constantly besegied by people trying to get him to back their cause, whatever that happened to be.

These days, it tends to be a more high-powered, high-finance operation. The lobbying district in the District is along K Street, which is where retired representatives and senators go to quadruple their salaries and then go right back up the Hill to persuade, bribe or frighten their former colleagues into supporting a particular piece of legislation that favors a particular interest group, be that the Dairy Farmers of America wanting some "pork" thrown their way in the form of a federal requirement that all K-12 schools buy a certain standard of milk in an education bill, or the NRA frightening politicians into interpreting the 2d amendment in a way that benefits small arms manufacturers, or AIPAC keeping the money flowing to Israel by promising certain defeat in Florida if they are scorned. Since the Congress members fill their campaign war chests from this limitless tap of "free" cash, there's no way they will ever pass legislation to seriously impede the activites of lobbyists and interest groups.

Answer 3

It's basically the same thing as an interest group. They are usually a group who (doh!) has a common interest. Examples are Greenpeace (for the environment) the NRA (for guns) NOW (National Organization for Women).

They send people called lobbyists in Washington to work in government buildings, particularly the Capitol building, lobbying senators and house representatives to vote for bills supporting their interest's beliefs, or vote against bills that go against their beliefs.

It's a highly-political issue.

Answer 4

Lobby groups are generally single or narrow interest groups who organize and try to build funds in order to send trained professionals to Washington and present those interests to members of Congress. Some single issue groups are like the NRA which lobbies against gun control, pro-life/pro-abortion groups are usually single interest. Some with broader agendas might include lobbies for unions (NEA) or industries (Diary, Beef) which have more than one issue they want to persuade the officials to vote their way.

Answer 5

A lobbyist is a person paid to sway the opinion of a political figure.

Answer 6

do you mean lobbyist?
below is a start. try using
lobbyist.edu on search for other educational info