AP U.S. Government and Politics Glossary

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Lobbyist

Definition

A lobbyist is an individual who is compensated to communicate directly with any state, legislative or agency official to influence legislative or administrative action on behalf of his or her employer or client. Lobbying is generally described as any attempt to influence the action of any legislative body (e.g., Congress, state legislatures, county boards, city councils, and their staffs) or any federal, state, or local government agency, or to affect the opinions of the general public. Laws regulating lobbying exist at the federal, state, and local levels, but can differ widely in scope, depending on the jurisdiction. Here is a table with every state's legal definition of lobbyist. And here is an Open Secrets list of how many lobbyists there are in the U.S.

Example

 
 

Questions

  1. What does a lobbyist do?

  2. Is lobbying legal?

  3. Identify one positive and one negative consequence of lobbying.

  4. How does lobbying impact democracy?

  5. Have you ever lobbied government before or been represented by a lobbyist?

  6. Who are some companies or groups that use lobbyists?

  7. Imagine lobbying was outlawed in the US. How would that impact American government and politics?

  8. What emoji would best represent a lobbyist?

Remember!

Now, let’s commit this term to our long-term memory. On a scrap piece of paper, take 10 or 20 seconds to lobbyist! Draw with symbols or stick figures if you wish. Nothing fancy. Don’t expect a masterpiece. No one else will see this but you. Look at your drawing. That’s all - now it’s downloaded into your memory. Destroy the piece of paper in a most delightful way.

Further Review

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