How Does Lobbying REALLY Work?
Summary
TLDRThis video explores the lucrative world of lobbying, a $3.7 billion industry where professionals earn an average of $112k annually. Lobbyists influence politicians on behalf of diverse clients, from corporations to non-profits. Despite its legal and constitutional roots, lobbying's association with big money raises equity concerns. The video highlights the power dynamics, with examples like the pharmaceutical industry's influence, and contrasts it with a lobbyist's success story for environmental conservation. It concludes with a call for lobbying reform for a more equitable democracy.
Takeaways
- 💼 Lobbying is a 3.7 billion dollar industry with an average lobbyist earning around 112k a year.
- 🗣️ Lobbyists are individuals who influence politicians to pass or oppose laws and policies on behalf of their clients, which can range from corporations to non-profits.
- 💰 Critics argue that the involvement of money in lobbying raises equity issues, as those who can afford to hire lobbyists have a louder voice in government policy.
- 🏛️ Historically, lobbying has been part of the democratic process, allowing citizens to petition the government for grievances, protected by the First Amendment.
- 💵 The pharmaceutical industry is a significant spender on lobbying, with companies like those in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce leading the way in 2021.
- 🌳 There are lobbyists who advocate for non-business causes, such as environmental conservation, as exemplified by The Nature Conservancy.
- 🎣 Successful lobbying often involves building relationships and understanding the political landscape, as illustrated by Tom's work securing funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
- 🚫 Calls for lobbying reform include banning lobbyists from fundraising and increasing transparency to address the influence of money in politics.
- 🤝 Lobbying is seen as essential in a gridlocked Congress, with lobbyists using various methods to influence policy beyond just financial means.
- 💭 The video suggests that while lobbying has its critics, it also plays a role in facilitating policy changes and can be used for a variety of causes, not just business interests.
Q & A
What is the annual income of an average lobbyist?
-The average lobbyist takes home approximately $112,000 a year.
What is the total revenue of the lobbying industry?
-The lobbying industry is a 3.7 billion dollar industry.
Who are the clients that professional lobbyists represent?
-Professional lobbyists represent a wide range of clients including big corporations, trade associations, unions, non-profits, and even specific interest groups like the US Association for Reptile Keepers.
What is the historical origin of the term 'lobbyist'?
-The term 'lobbyist' dates back to when people would wait in the lobbies of government offices to try to catch lawmakers' ears.
How does the money involved in lobbying raise concerns?
-The involvement of money in lobbying raises concerns about equity issues, as it allows those who can afford to hire lobbyists to have a greater influence on government policy, potentially overshadowing the interests of the general public.
What was the outcome of the bill that aimed to allow the federal government to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies?
-Despite public support, the bill did not pass and died on the Senate floor, influenced by heavy lobbying from pharmaceutical companies.
Who were the top spenders on lobbying in 2021?
-The top spenders on lobbying in 2021 included the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, land owners, the National Association of Realtors, and pharmaceutical research and manufacturers of America.
How does Tom, the lobbyist for The Nature Conservancy, approach his job?
-Tom, a lobbyist for The Nature Conservancy, often takes politicians out for activities like fishing or hiking to build relationships and influence policy, leading to significant wins like the Great American Outdoors Act.
What was the Great American Outdoors Act and what did it achieve?
-The Great American Outdoors Act secured 900 million dollars a year from the government's oil and gas revenue to permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, supporting conservation efforts.
What are some proposed reforms to address equity issues in lobbying?
-Proposed lobbying reforms include banning lobbyists from fundraising and increasing transparency in the industry to level the playing field for various interest groups.
What does the host suggest as a potential lobbying cause for the benefit of the general public?
-The host humorously suggests lobbying for a four-day work week and government-provided money as potential causes for the general public's benefit.
Outlines
💼 Lobbying 101: The Business of Influence
This paragraph introduces lobbying as a lucrative industry, with an average lobbyist earning $112,000 a year. It explains that lobbyists are individuals who persuade politicians to pass or oppose laws and policies on behalf of their clients, which can range from corporations to non-profits. The paragraph also touches on the historical roots of lobbying and its connection to the First Amendment right to petition the government. The critique of lobbying centers on the influence of money in politics, with lobbyists legally able to host fundraisers and donate to political campaigns, leading to concerns about equity in who can afford to influence policy.
🌳 Lobbying for the Environment: A Success Story
The second paragraph presents a case study of Tom, a lobbyist for The Nature Conservancy, an environmental non-profit. It describes his approach to lobbying, which includes building relationships and taking politicians on outdoor activities to foster bipartisan support. A significant achievement mentioned is the Great American Outdoors Act of 2020, which secured $900 million annually for land and water conservation from government oil and gas revenue. The narrative illustrates the strategic use of political currency and personal connections, such as shifting lobbying efforts to a senator with more influence due to an upcoming re-election. The paragraph also addresses the broader issue of lobbying equity, suggesting that while money plays a role, personal influence and relationship-building are equally important.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Lobbyist
💡Schmooze
💡Equity issues
💡Fundraising
💡Campaign spending
💡First Amendment
💡Lobbying reform
💡Political currency
💡Great American Outdoors Act
💡Public interest groups
💡Transparency
Highlights
Lobbying is a $3.7 billion industry with the average lobbyist earning $112k a year.
Lobbyists are individuals who influence politicians to pass or oppose laws and policies on behalf of clients.
Lobbying clients range from large corporations to trade associations, unions, and non-profits.
The term 'lobbyist' dates back to when people would wait in government office lobbies to influence lawmakers.
Lobbying is protected by the First Amendment as a form of petitioning the government.
Critiques of lobbying often focus on the influence of money in the political process.
It's legal for lobbyists to host fundraisers for politicians and donate to campaigns.
Campaign spending for the 2022 midterm elections was projected to exceed $9.3 billion.
Equity issues arise as only those who can afford lobbyists have significant influence on policy.
Pharmaceutical companies spent heavily to lobby against a bill allowing federal drug price negotiation.
The top spenders on lobbying in 2021 were the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, land owners, and pharmaceutical companies.
Lobbying is not just about money; it involves building relationships and understanding political power dynamics.
The Nature Conservancy, an environmental non-profit, successfully lobbied for the Great American Outdoors Act.
Lobbying involves identifying key political figures with the power to influence legislation.
The Great American Outdoors Act was signed into law after bipartisan support and presidential approval.
Calls for lobbying reform include banning lobbyists from fundraising and increasing industry transparency.
Lobbying is essential to the functioning of the Republic, despite the need for reform to address equity issues.
Transcripts
hey you want to make a lot of money become a lobbyist what up bro miles best here journalist
host and someone who could use a little extra cash now you've all heard about lobbyists right
they get paid to schmooze with Congressman congressmen I know you want to pass this bill
man do you want a shrimpy yeah I have a shrimpy yeah you gotta pass that bill though huh oh yeah
totally that sounds like a great idea actually yeah yeah that's right Congressman passed that
bill enjoy that shrimpy cheers so maybe it's not exactly like that but lobbying is a 3.7
billion dollar industry and your average lobbyist is taking home 112k a year hmm
it's not too shabby now my gut is telling me that all this money Changing Hands is a little
fishy what's that good yeah yeah I hear you and I'm gonna get to the bottom of this just
for you so today we're asking what the heck do lobbyists do and are they really that bad
okay so long story short lobbyists are just people who talk to politicians to try to get them to pass
or oppose laws and other policies professional lobbyists do that on behalf of their clients and
those clients can range from Big corporations trade associations unions non-profits it's
literally a lobbyist job to influence government officials to get them to adopt policies that are
favorable to their clients and there are thousands of different groups that either have lobbyists
working directly for them or hire lobbyists from Big lobbying firms even reptiles have lobbyists
that's a true story the US Association for reptile Keepers has spent ten thousand dollars on lobbying
so far in 2022. now the term goes way back to when people would literally wait in the lobbies of
government offices to try to catch lawmakers ears at its core it's a way for citizens to petition
the government for a redress of grievances which is a right that's protected by the First Amendment
okay so that's what lobbyists are but are they bad so a lot of the critiques of lobbying come
down to how money money money money is involved in the process this it's totally legal for lobbyists
to throw big fundraisers for politicians and they themselves can actually personally donate
to campaigns it's insanely expensive to run for office I mean campaign spending for the
2022 midterm election cycle is projected to exceed 9.3 billion dollars that's like buying a quarter
of Twitter as political reports representative Virginia Fox from North Carolina hosts a brunch
Bunch which costs a thousand dollars to go to one 2500 to go to three and five thousand dollars to
go to seven seems like a sweet deal politicians raise money for their campaigns and lobbyists get
to build relationships with lawmakers a win-win for lobbyists and politicians and all this brings
up some serious Equity issues when it comes to who can afford to hire lobbyists and ultimately whose
voice gets to influence government policy let me tell you a quick Story Once Upon a Time polls
showed that 80 to 90 percent of Americans favored allowing the federal government to negotiate with
pharmaceutical companies for lower drug prices I mean the only thing that's more popular is
the rock so let lucky for Americans Congress was debating a bill which would do just that easy win
right it didn't pass it died on the senate floor pharmaceutical companies spent big money lobbying
Congress to fight this bill I bet y'all didn't see that coming on so I looked up who the biggest
Spenders on lobbying were in 2021 literally at the top big business as in the U.S Chamber of Commerce
a pro-business interest group Next Up land owners coming in number two is the National Association
of Realtors an organization who according to his website has 114 years of advocating and protecting
the rights of property buyers and sellers in the U.S and around the world number three big Pharma
the pharmaceutical research and manufacturers of America also at the top of the list are big tech
companies meta the company formerly known as Facebook and Amazon both spent over 19 million
dollars on lobbying who don't you see at the top lobbyists advocating for the people or the planet
rather than a business's bottom line though I will point out that AARP spent over 13 million
dollars lobbying in 2021. dang Boomers y'all got all the money huh yeah I see what's happening here
in 2015 the Atlantic reported that of the 100 organizations that spent the most on lobbying
95 consistently represent business and a lot of this wheeling and dealing happens behind closed
doors with no transparency critics say lobbyists like all good salespeople cherry pick data that
makes their clients case look good and the public doesn't really know what's going on so it's hard
for anyone to set the record straight and the critiques of the love affair between business and
government goes way back I mean check out this political cartoon from 1889 suggesting how big
businesses like steel copper and oil are the real bosses of the Senate hot take in 1937 Congressman
Alfred n Phillips from Connecticut had a sign hanging from his door that said come in everybody
Welcome accept professional lobbyists so I wanted to find out do any lobbyist score wins for you
know non-business causes like maybe protecting the environment and that's how I met Tom course he's a
lobbyist for The Nature Conservancy a giant Global Environmental non-profit dedicated to conserving
land now this isn't just some small and Scrappy Environmental Group y'all they're legit and to be
honest it sounds like he's got a pretty sweet job a lot of my most successful lobbying visits are
not in a suit uh they're out in the field I take politicians out fishing I take them out hiking
I try to bring people together across political lines and they just had a major win in 2020 with
the Great American outdoors act they secured 900 million dollars a year of the government's oil and
gas Revenue to permanently fund the land and water conservation fund a pot of money for conservation
efforts to offset some of the environmental damage caused by the oil and gas industry and I want to
know what it's actually like to lobby for this bill and Tom explained that a lot of lobbying is
building relationships and figuring out who actually has the power and interest to help
with your cause and I've been working with Senator Richard Burr and his staff for many years and we'd
had many great victories and I remember distinctly we were talking about well let's go to the next
step let's get that 900 million dollars fixed for conservation he said I'm not your guy anymore I
said what are you talking about you you've been the guy you're the lead and he said well I don't
have any political currency and you need somebody that's got political currency and those people
are members that are up for re-election and he suggested Senator Corey Gardner a republican from
Colorado and we shifted the Atlanta Water full funding effort over to Senator Gardner he went
to Senator McConnell said this is my election year ask of you let's get this done Senator McConnell
agreed and in a very famous meeting at the White House in January of 2020. President Trump agreed
to fix Land and Water Conservation fund and also do maintenance backlog on public lands that's
amazing and I mean it all sounds like very like like a like the draw like the political dramas
that you see on TV sometime after president Trump got on board with the bill it was debated and
passed in the house and sent it and signed into law with the Great American outdoors act in 2020.
dang Tom's got some serious lobbying skills but I also wanted to get his take on the equity issues
when it comes to Big corporations having tons of money to spend on lobbying compared to you
know most public interest groups he told me that money isn't the only kind of currency for lobbying
how many people are calling up and pestering your front uh office phone but then you can also look
at different ways to communicate where you send an email and an email might be worth a little bit
more handwritten notes worth a lot more a personal uh meeting is worth even more than that and then
you know with the member of congress's former roommate from sophomore year in college saying
you need to do this that's worth a ton more yeah you got to figure out who these people are playing
golf with okay so moral of the story if you want something done hire a lobbyist wish I could hire
one to negotiate a raise for me all right as it stands now lobbying is pretty essential to how
our Republic functions lobbyists have the tricks and tools of the trade to get things done in an
often gridlocked Congress and money helps but Lobby isn't perfect to help balance some of the
equity issues there have been some calls for lobbying reform things like Banning lobbyists
fundraising and increasing transparency in the industry so I hope you learned something
from this little video like my takeaway maybe lobbyists are the real pants wears of democracy
no but seriously if you could be a lobbyist for any issue what would it be I'll go first
uh I'd say we need a four day work week and we need the government to give us money huh it's
almost like we have a couple episodes on that maybe you should check them out one on the four
day work week and one on universal basic income until next time I'm your host miles peace out
foreign [Music]
Посмотреть больше похожих видео
5 Crazy Facts About Lobbyists - Follow the Money #11
How Billionaires Control US Elections | Business Insider Explains | Business Insider
Socialism for Absolute Beginners
Legal Weed Is Being Ruined By Corporate Greed
Bisnis Kos-kosan Di Era Digital. THE INSIDER with Anggit, CEO & Co-founder Mamikos.
How China Became So Powerful
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)