Dear America,

March 6, 2021

Dear America,

Who is the lobby for the people?

A gun lobby. An environmental lobby. A business lobby. An energy lobby. An alcohol lobby. A real estate lobby. A telecommunications lobby. An education lobby. A healthcare lobby. A timber lobby. A mining lobby.

The list goes on, and on, and on, ad infinitum. Yet, one question remains...

Who is the lobby for and of the people?

In this letter we wade through America's lobbies!

What is a Lobby?

To answer this question, I define the term lobbying. Britannica defines lobby[ing] as,

[A]ny attempt by individuals or private interest groups to influence the decisions of government; in its original meaning it referred to efforts to influence the votes of legislators, generally in the lobby outside the legislative chamber. Lobbying in some form is inevitable in any political system.

Working from the definition of lobbying, a lobby is an organized group of individuals or private interest groups unified by their shared goal to influence the decisions of government. In short, a lobby can best be defined as " a group of individuals, organizations, or business unified in mission to effectuate change in, creation of, or implementation of public policy."

Lobbying in America: Effectuating Change in America

In America, there are two forces which can effectuate change: (1) money, and (2) a highly organized and motivated group of individuals or highly motivated and committed group of individuals.

Effectuating change with Money

To borrow from Patricia Russell McCloud "money may not buy happiness but it does pay the consultants to study the problem." As money applies to sparking and creating policy change, money allows for acquisition of resources, compensation for individuals, and creation of programs to recruit more individuals.

Money led efforts tend to focus on hiring a lobbyist--an individuals retained to represent and advocate for the political interest of another-- to gain access to necessary elected officials, who can take action needed to achieve desired political change. Lobbyist often have an intimate understanding of the political process and/or the actors involved in the political process. A process understanding and/or stakeholder understanding of those involved allow lobbyist to push their client's interest by using the process or leveraging stakeholder knowledge to their advantage. From holding a committee investigatory hearing to raise the profile and awareness of an issue to having legislation drafted to garnering co-sponsor support for legislation, a lobbyist uses the process and known stakeholders (i.e. elected officials, other interest groups, nonprofits, businesses, etc...) desires and goals to achieve the ends of their clients.

While anyone can hire a lobbyist, it takes money to pay for the tools of the trade: surveys, polling, advertisements, awareness campaigns, luncheon's, conferences, speaker's forums, and the like needed to bring stakeholders together to learn of goals, align interest, build concert of action, and determine best strategy to effectuate their client's goals.

Effectuating Change with People Power

Before addressing the second point, I first must call attention to the fact we live in a world where cash is king and giving specific recognition to the fact in the United States we live in a country where every day the societal mantra becomes money above people, a little more each day. While recognizing those facts, we still live in a world, and a country, where a highly motivated and committed group of individuals can create change.

A highly motivated and committed group of individuals can create change by being united in vision and dedicated to effectuating policy change-- through organizing communities, educating individuals, empowering people with the knowledge needed to act, and leading individuals to call upon the political powers which be to craft legislation, create programs, and implement regulations and rules which achieve their goals. In part, grassroots organizing and community engagement coupled with legislator and executive branch engagement is one way people can effectuate change.

The above is not to say money is absent from the picture; instead the above is to say the primary focus and tool is people. Stated differently, individuals utilizing the resources and tools which are in their possession to achieve success in their goals. The techniques associated with people focused movements include: protesting, individuals writing letters to their federal, state, and/or local elected officials, individuals calling in to their federal, state, and/or local elected officials, holding town halls, petitioning elected officials to take a pre-defined action(s). In short, the greatest expense being time and energy needed to sustain a chorus of action and build the echo-chamber needed for political pressure to grow as to force desired policy change.

Probing Questions: What is the Lobby for the People? and Who is the Lobbyist for the People?

Understanding the ways in which change is achieved in this country, then raises the questions who is lobby for people? And who is the lobbyist for the people?

As to the second question, there is no waiting for Superman, the people must be the lobbyist for themselves. Each person must be or become smart or suave enough to: (1) identify and define their challenges, (2) formulate policy solution to overcome their challenge(s) and which will bring about the desire outcome the person desires, (3) advocate for policy implementation, and (4) evaluate the results achieved by policy change. In each person owning their voice and recognizing they are their own advocate can they begin to align with others to work in tandem to create the change in the world they are seeking.

As to the first question, one may say anyone of the lobby's--, or the totality of all the lobby's-- I opened this article discussing are the lobby of the people. Going deeper beyond interest, the question seeks to explore who is the lobby--i.e. the group(s) or organization(s), (1) which are working to recognize (a) the flaws in the current process? , (b) the ills in society? , (c) the hurt and pain in communities? ; (2) to remedy the lack of political and civic understanding in communities? ; (3) empower every and each person to serve as their change agent?

Who is the lobby which working on behalf of the American people?

What say you America?

Until we speak again,

Donald Wiggins Jr., Esq.