Lobbying is a form of advocacy that legally attempts to influence policy decisions made by legislators, members of regulatory agencies in the executive branch, or in some cases judges. Lobbying, the main and most well known component of government relations on the other hand, consists of "directly advocating for or against particular legislation or regulations."
The work of advocates and lobbyists generally include activities that require direct contact with lawmakers, policymakers, or their staff; most often professional lobbyists require entry in a lobby register as a registered lobbyist, while most other advocates do not. Although the profession of government relations, as well as the public affairs industry, are not exclusive to lobbyists, it also includes advocates and non-lobbyist government relations professionals that assist lobbyists or other influence efforts but are not legally classified as such. A principal is a person or organization that hires a lobbyist, or is a senior member of an organization or advocacy group that is advocating on behalf of itself or coordinates constituent meetings with lawmakers on behalf of interested individuals from the general public.
History and etymology
In pre-modern political systems, royal courts provided incidental opportunities for gaining the ear of monarchs and their councilors.For example:
That architectural sense of lobby is believed to originate from the medieval Latin lobia or lobium, which refers to a gallery, hall, or portico. This architectural sense was later adopted to describe the practice of advocating or debating in such spaces.
In a report carried by the BBC, an OED lexicographer has shown that "lobbying" finds its roots in the gathering of Members of Parliament and peers in the hallways ("lobbies") of the United Kingdom Houses of Parliament before and after parliamentary debates where members of the public can meet their representatives.
One story held that the term originated at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., where it was supposedly used by President Ulysses S. Grant to describe the political advocates who frequented the hotel's lobby to access Grant—who was often there in the evenings to enjoy a cigar and brandy—and then tried to buy the president drinks in an attempt to influence his political decisions. Although the term may have gained more widespread currency in Washington, D.C., by virtue of this practice during the Grant Administration, the OED cites numerous documented uses of the word well before Grant's presidency, including use in Pennsylvania as early as 1808.
The term "lobbying" also appeared in print as early as 1820:Deanna Gelak (previous president of the American League of Lobbyists) mentioned this in her book Lobbying and Advocacy: Winning Strategies, Resources, Recommendations, Ethics and Ongoing Compliance for Lobbyists and Washington Advocates, TheCapitol.Net, 2008, LobbyingAndAdvocacy.com
Overview Lobbying involves direct meetings with legislators to influence policy decisions based on their political interests and goals. Lobbying can be carried out by various entities, including individuals acting as constituents, corporations pursuing business interests, nonprofits, NGOs through advocacy groups, interest groups, and political action committees.
Some government relations practices may include the use of campaign finance by contributing endorsements for political candidates and proposed public policies to achieve a group's political interests.
While there are different types of lobbying, the main form of lobbying to influence government action is by meeting with legislators. Groups that hire lobbyists will endorse expenditures, which refers to the total dollars spent on lobbying activity. These expenditures usually go towards setting up direct meetings with lawmakers, extensive data and research on policies, drafting proposals, and testimonies. During these meetings, lobbyists will share case studies, research, and relevant data in order to frame their policy strategy and solution as highly credible to legislators. Credibility is a huge factor in lobbyist-legislator relationships as it builds a sense of trust and cooperation in the policy making process aiming to advance or block certain policies.
When government relations work is done in-house among non-profit organizations, humanitarian aid organizations, trade unions, professional associations, trade associations, or chambers of commerce, it is referred to as policy and advocacy; where lobbying alongside litigation, public education, coalition building, capacity building, and other types of advocacy, is known as one of several components to the activity known as policy advocacy. It is also an industry known by many of the aforementioned names, and has a near-complete overlap with the public affairs industry.
Legislative relations can include legislators influencing each other or government officials in the executive and judicial branch agencies reporting to or interacting with the legislative branch through their respective offices of legislative affairs.
Methods Lobby groups generally concentrate their efforts on legislatures, the process in which laws and policies are passed, as well as at the executive branch, where laws are enforced by regulatory agencies; but may also use the judiciary to advance their causes. For example by acting as parties or amici curiae (intervenors) in lawsuits. For example, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), filed suits in state and federal courts in the 1950s in aims to challenge segregation laws. Their efforts resulted in the Supreme Court declaring such laws as unconstitutional.(2011). Interest groups and state politics. In B. A. Loomis, P. L. Francia, D. Z. Strolovitch (Eds.) Interest groups and state politics (pp. 446-454). CQ Press, https://doi.org/10.4135/9781608717569.n33
Lobbyists and non-lobbyists may use a legal device known as amicus curiae () briefs to try to influence court cases. Briefs are written documents filed with a court, typically by parties to a lawsuit. Amici curiae briefs are briefs filed by people or groups who are not parties to a suit. These briefs are entered into the court records and give additional background on the matter being decided upon. Advocacy groups use these briefs both to share their expertise and to promote their positions.
In 2013, the director general of the World Health Organization, Margaret Chan, illustrated the methods used in lobbying against public health issues:.
Lobbying can be categorized as inside lobbying, which directly interacts with decision-makers, or outside lobbying, which pressures decision-makers through mobilization of public opinion.
Effects According to a 2025 review of research on lobbying, three effects of lobbying have been documented in the academic literature: First, in line with public suspicions, lobbyists have transactional relationships with public officials in which they exchange money for political access and influence. Second, lobbyists persuade public officials by providing information that changes the positions taken by policymakers. Third, successful mobilization of citizen support or lobbying coalitions helps lobbyists attain policy aims.
Public affairs industry
Public affairs generally refers to the engagement efforts between organizations, often times in the context of building business or governmental relationships. The industry has developed over recent years and is normally considered a branch or sub-discipline of public relations (PR). Having such a broad range of coverage regarding its definition, public affairs is, by nature, a hybrid of disciplines that relies heavily on strategic communication. While often equated with lobbying, this is usually only a small part of what a public affairs practitioner might do. Other typical functions include research, strategy planning and providing advice. Dr. Juan-Carlos Molleda writes, "Many types of organizations virtually and physically interact and communicate with publics or audiences outside of their own country of origin to build a dynamic set of relationships. Trade, direct foreign investment, political coalitions, worthy global causes, information flow, and social networking, among other phenomena, are increasing the complexity of those relationships dramatically".
Organizations who make use of public affairs are typically large companies, charities, trade unions, membership organizations and interest groups. They will either have staff working directly for them or employ a firm of public affairs consultants. Very often public affairs staff will work with their non-PR colleagues who are experts in a given field. Public affairs fundamentally has a global impact, and it is necessary to view it through the lens of the perspective nation in which it is being practiced.
Given public affairs' current development, there is still a common perception among those not within the industry that synonymize public affairs with lobbying, as well as public relations.Bailey, R. (2019, December 16). Why Public Affairs Matters & How is it different from PR? PR Academy. https://pracademy.co.uk/insights/why-public-affairs-matters/ Within the Global North, public affairs entails not only the former, but additionally information monitoring, media management, event planning and organization, political marketing, and of course, networking.Public Affairs Networking. (n.d.). A Guide To Public Affairs - PubAffairs - The Leading Public Affairs Network. Public Affairs Networking. Retrieved October 20, 2020, https://www.publicaffairsnetworking.com/guide-to-working-in-public-affairs.php The industry itself is expected to grow in employment opportunities by 7% between 2019 and 2029 in the US, faster than the average for all other occupations, and can mostly be contributed to the growing need for organizations to maintain their public image in such a media-abundant society. It is difficult to determine the size of the public affairs industry in the United Kingdom. Studies suggest the industry is becoming more professionalized, and that it is more widespread than often assumed. The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), which is the UK's professional body for public relations including public affairs, estimates there are around 48,000 people involved in PR, of which 30% are involved in public affairs. This research is limited as it only measures specific job titles and those who declare themselves to be working in PR. There are large numbers of professionals providing public affairs services while working under different job titles across a wide variety of sectors. The job titles of public affairs practitioners may vary, depending on the focus of their role, but may include, "public affairs", "external affairs/relations", "corporate communications", "government/parliamentary affairs" and "policy".