Why is lobbying bad?

Question

Trying to write a paper on why lobbying is bad. Any help?

Answer 1

In principle lobbying isn't bad. For example whenever we write to our Congressmen, it is in a sense 'lobbying' them to act in the way we think right, and to let them know how we feel.

Industries being regulated pretty much have to lobby congressmen to get in front of them the ways they think they can be regulated that would work best for that industry.

However, now there are many more lobbyists than Congressmen on Capital Hill, many have given gifts to politicians which are still being investigated, and the common man can't get the attention of politicians between other everyday demands on the common man's time. The politician's view of the country is blinkered by the position of the many lobbyists, and his view of the range of positions is the range between competing lobbyists, none of whom work for the voting citizenry.

It puts too much power in the hands of special interests who can also deliver election funds through pacs, then the lobbyists let the beholden congressmen know how the contributor thinks the congressman should vote.

In theory, the Congressmen work for the voters, proportionately to their vote, rather than to contributors, proportionately to their contributions.

Answer 2

Lobbying is bad because it sends people to jail, like Abramoff, Republican Congressman Ney etc etc.

Lobbying is bad because it makes people lie, for example, lobbyist Abramoff made some in the White House lie as to how many times Abramoff was able to meet the President. Was it zero as was initially claimed or was it way too many times as was later suggested...

If you need to fill your paper with more information, you can mention how the American Medical Association, AMA, has a tight grip on the Congress and how it has kept the number of doctors in the US low so you pay more for their fees. You can also add, well, If your teacher is more pro-US than s/he is for Israel, then you can say how the Israeli lobby cons money out of our treasury to the tune of 5 billion dollars a year, every year. The same lobby has stifled the throat of civil liberties in America with the passage of the Patriot Act and the Military Commision Act of 2006.

For the above reasons, lobbying is bad. Good luck :)

Answer 3

Lobbying is bad because it influence the politicians on what to do instead of doing the right thing.

Answer 4

Most lobbying is positively productive, but some of it distracts public policy officials from their constituency and its needs.

Answer 5

to me its simple. Its bad because it takes away access to the govenment for the common man. I should not have to be able to pay for dinners or trips to have access to my representitive. Laws should be passed upon the merits of said law,...not by who pour enough cash into it.

Answer 6

it promotes corruption in government, its leaglized bribery

Answer 7

It's not bad. Corruption is bad.