Broadly defined, lobbying deals with attempts to influence the public policy process. Organizations that conduct lobbying include busines s associations, companies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), public affairs consultancies, labour unions and foundations. Still, critics often question the contribution to democracy, and
whether or not lobbying is yet another tool for society’s most resourceful. A conclusion from the literature is that financial resources and human capital are important components for organizations and their ability to succeed with lobbying efforts. In this regard, research on lobbying has produced a number of tomes that shedlight on the importance of, for instance, lobbyists’ resources and their use of different tactics. With a few noteworthy exceptions, however, there has been little attention devoted to how lobbyists actually communicate.
This Special Issue of the Journal of Public Affairs invites papers that focus on the role of lobbying and its relation to the public interest and democracy. Communication strategies play an important part here.
Lobbying Roles, the Public Interest and Democracy: Communication Perspectives
submissions by November 15