Lobbying And Decision-Making Analysis

Although lobbying may sometimes produce “economic waste,” as Gordon Tullock asserts, one cannot soundly argue that lobbying should be done away with altogether. Lobbying is an essential part of the American democratic process which benefits not only private and public interest groups, but policymakers as well.
Godwin, Ainsworth, and Godwin define lobbying simply as “an effort to influence public policy.” In practice, lobbying is one of the primary methods by which groups of citizens and businesses— public policy stakeholders— promote and protect certain interests. The incentives to influence public policy are strong. A seemingly innocuous change in agriculture policy can bankrupt hundreds of subsidy-dependent farmers overnight. Similarly, an equally small adjustment in telecommunications policy can yield millions of dollars more in profit for phone service providers. Lobbying allows farmers, telecom companies, and every other organized group to voice their disapproval or support of legislative changes and to push for changes that would better their standing. …show more content…
point out that Tullock’s simplification of the lobbying process removes some of the nuances which make lobbying “worth it.” For example, they explain that it is possible for there to be multiple winners in a lobbying match; Company A and Company B can both win something without the other necessarily losing. That is to say, lobbying does not always produce economic waste. Factoring in these complexities, Godwin et. all conclude that “lobbying is rational and strategic.” Groups that lobby are not entering a lottery, but, rather, participating in intricate game with a long list of rules and varying levels of