Lobbying is an integral part of modern political and economic life. What are its causes, features and consequences, we will discuss in this article.
Lobbying concept
The term lobbying is a concept borrowed from the English language. It comes from the name of the passageway of the building - the lobby, and in a general sense means "lobby". It is where politicians contact outsiders that you can clap about your interests and find patrons. In the political system, lobbying is traditionally understood as a mechanism of influence on parliamentarians with the aim of adopting or rejecting the necessary legislative act.
In the broadest sense, the well - known movement of the Chartists (workers who advocate the adoption of the charter) in England can also be called lobbying, but with the only difference being that legitimate pressure on representative power from public opinion is not only normal, but also useful. Unfortunately, in the modern world, various forms of lobbying flourish, which can not be called otherwise corrupt and criminal. In addition, lobbying has significantly expanded its field of activity, including representatives of both the executive and the judiciary in the sphere of their interests.
Reasons for lobbying
The promotion and protection of the
interests of certain economic groups in parliament is due to the fact that the economy is increasingly dependent on government decisions, development trends and support for certain enterprises.
Lobbying is not a new phenomenon. It is known that it flourished in England a few centuries ago. Today in many countries it is a legal type of activity, which is carried out by both single professionals and entire companies. They are approached by groups of entrepreneurs who receive consultations and establish contacts with representatives of the executive and legislative branches.
Direct lobbying
Existing lobbying technologies can be divided into two large groups. The first includes direct methods of protecting economic interests through direct, personal communication with political figures. This can be personal meetings or visits by politicians to companies, banks, exhibitions, production, organization of business meetings, symposia, all kinds of conferences.
Direct lobbying is carried out through the transfer of certain information, which should persuade lawmakers to adopt or reject the necessary legal acts, conduct expert examinations and scientific research. Moreover, the main task is to persuade politicians to their side with the help of serious arguments and get support from them in the form of certain government decisions and even policy directions.
Indirect lobbying
In contrast to direct lobbying, indirect happens indirectly, bypassing personal contacts with the necessary political figures. For its implementation, it is necessary no less than professionalism, analysis of the political and economic situation. The first mediator in this type of activity, of course, is the press. No wonder the media called the fourth
branch of government. The dissemination of information in the right way through the mass media primarily affects public opinion and shapes public consciousness. So there is a multiple increase in pressure on politicians in order to obtain the expected result. This happens indirectly, without personal direct pressure or persuasion. Civilized lobbying is also the search for allies who are also interested in a certain outcome of the matter and can help represent common interests, create public organizations, etc. In the West, lobbying is seen as a direct part of civil society that protects public interests before the state and seeks concessions to the latter.
Shadow lobbyism
All of the above is characterized by the forms by which legal lobbying of interests authorized by the state is carried out. This is a reality with which society has come to terms and even learned how to make money on it.
But there are methods based on the use of criminal techniques. In the broad sense of the word, they are called shadow. These include blackmail, threats, pressure and, of course, bribery. We can conclude that civilized lobbyism is built on the power of persuasion, and shadow on coercion or benefit. It will be superfluous to recall that the latter is prosecuted. In life, it’s hard to see where the line between crime and legitimate lobbyism lies. So, in some states of North America, lobbyists must formally register their political demands. This transparency allows you to control the possible ways of exerting pressure on political opponents.
Lockheed Case
The Lockheed case is one of the most high-profile processes of recent times, showing how illegal lobbying of interests occurs. What it is? This is a scandal involving the purchase by the Japanese government of Lockheed airliners. By technical indicators and safety parameters, they were significantly inferior to European ones, although their cost was at the "European" level. Why did the Japanese make such a bad deal? In 1976, facts of giving large bribes to representatives of the authorities in Japan became known, while an amount of two million dollars was announced. A charge of corruption was brought forward to the Prime Minister of the Land of the Rising Sun Tanako. The conviction was passed in 1983, but he was immediately appealed against by the defendant. In general, the process lasted until the death of the suspect, that is, until the beginning of the 90s of the last century. The most interesting thing is that Tanako was still engaged in political activities for a long time after the accusation. This incident has become an encyclopedic example of the use of shadow lobbying methods in the highest echelons of power.
PR
One of the sections of the PR service is responsible not only for relations with society in the broad sense, but also for establishing relations with power structures at various levels and branches of government. Such activities of the so-called GR-managers are akin to lobbying. They organize meetings with
government officials, provide a social image of business projects of various companies. And, of course, they participate in election campaigns, nurturing far-reaching plans for long-term cooperation with a politician. Many large Russian companies since the mid-90s began to organize such departments in their firms. In some European countries, the term “lobbyist” is not used at all because of the negative coloring of public perception. And yet there is a difference in the work of PR and lobbyist.
The difference in the activities of lobbyists and GR-managers
The lobbyist in the modern world is a "free artist". In this, he differs from the GR-manager working for a certain company and receiving wages. His earnings are much higher, since it has the form of a fee or a percentage of transactions. A lobbyist can work with several clients at once, whom he chooses for himself, and a manager protects the interests of his campaign only. The main difference between the lobbying profession and related and similar ones is the political coloring of their activities. PR specialists carry out primarily economic functions.
Some conclusions
Lobbying is a broad concept, which in the modern world is considered as a political mechanism, the task of which is to establish relations between certain business structures with government representatives in order to promote and protect the interests of economic groups.
Lobbyism is akin to many modern professions, for example, a government relations consultant or public relations manager. That is why confusion arises regarding the content of this term. The inhabitants understand it as advocating for interests, something akin to the work of a lawyer. Some experts distinguish this type of activity as one of the technologies of the PR departments. Nevertheless, most researchers agree on the specifics of lobbying as a separate type of activity, especially in a market economy and capitalism. Large capitals and firms are interested in establishing ties with political figures, as well as the latter with them.
To summarize: lobbying - what is it? Mutually beneficial, two-way traffic towards each other. Lobbyists are only intermediaries, those who help find common ground and establish contacts.