A Voters Guide – 10 Facts about campaign finance
5. Lobbying
While lobbying isn’t directly tied to campaign finance, it is often discussed in regards to reforming money in politics. Like campaign financing, lobbying is also protected by the First Amendment, both directly, through the redress of grievance, and indirectly as a form of supporting political speech.
The negative narrative on lobbying is that corporations buy votes on key issues. That is, if provable, illegal. Lobbying is really different associations of citizens (labor unions, industries, corporations, and even state and local governments) hiring individuals to make their case to elected officials.
Because corporations and other associations pay taxes and are effected by the laws made in Washington, they have a vested interest in making their case to Congress. Likewise, if members of a certain industry decide to financially support a certain candidate’s campaign because that candidate believes in protecting that industry from undue regulation, it is obvious within their interest as free individuals to do so.
The problem comes when an elected officials takes it further, supporting law that gives certain associations favor over others. But is the answer to this real dilemma to restrict the First Amendment rights of Americans, or would it be better to rethink the power government holds over certain aspects of the economy?
