Accessibility of the policy-making processes for third party agent’s increases countries level of democratic governance. Ideally chances to influence officials should not depend on wealth of the interest group. However common ways to impact government decisions include professional lobbying (Rowbottom, 2010, p.79). Professional lobbyists are accused of influencing public policy formation for self-serving purposes by means of not only knowledge transfer but also offering financial support to the targeted government official or political party. Government officials choose which people to meet with and receive advice from. This subjective choice gives varying opportunities that result in decision-making power to different interest groups (Rowbottom, 2010, p. 78). The public’s confidence in how public policies are being formatted has been shaken by repeated reports on lobbyist’s corruption. In recent years the regulation of lobbying has become a major challenge for modern liberal democracies world-wide. Democracies, relying on trust and support of their citizenry are threatened to loose legitimacy due to professional lobbying. The question this paper examines is in how far lobbying needs to be recognized as an indicator for democratic governance and whether it is measurable as such. At first characteristics and the scope of lobbying shall be defined to provide the necessary framework for further discussion of the topic. Second, when assessing democratic governance empirical measures for indicators are essential components of analysis. Therefore the measurability of lobbying shall be addressed in the second part of the paper. Third, approaches to regulate lobbyist profession to ensure higher levels of democratic governance shall be examined. Lastly, the case of the European Union shall be analyzed to exemplify successes and loop-holes of the existing regulatory measures and conclude about the importance of lobbying as an indicator when examining the democratic process.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Definition and Scope
- Measuring lobbying
- Proposals for Regulation of the lobbying sector
- Self-Regulation
- Government regulation
- Regulation of lobbying in the EU
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper examines the role of lobbying as an indicator of democratic governance and its measurability. It seeks to establish the scope and characteristics of lobbying, explore the challenges in measuring its impact on democratic processes, and analyze regulatory approaches aimed at improving transparency and accountability in the lobbying sector. The paper also examines the European Union as a case study for the effectiveness of existing regulatory measures.
- The nature and extent of lobbying as a tool for influencing government decisions.
- The challenges and complexities associated with measuring the impact of lobbying on democratic governance.
- The potential for lobbying to undermine democratic legitimacy, particularly in the context of corruption and undue influence.
- The effectiveness of both self-regulatory measures and government regulations in addressing concerns about transparency and accountability in the lobbying sector.
- The European Union as a case study for regulatory approaches to lobbying and their implications for democratic governance.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introduction presents the central question of the paper: whether lobbying can be considered a valid indicator of democratic governance and how it can be measured. It also highlights the challenges posed by lobbying to democratic legitimacy and the need for regulation.
The chapter on "Definition and Scope" provides a comprehensive overview of lobbying, tracing its historical evolution and defining its key features. It explores the different actors involved in lobbying, including corporate lobbyists, contract lobbyists, and non-profit lobbyists, and analyzes the factors driving the increasing professionalization of lobbying.
The chapter on "Measuring lobbying" addresses the difficulties in quantifying the impact of lobbying on democratic processes. It identifies the challenges posed by the secretive nature of lobbying, the complexity of distinguishing between legitimate and unethical influence, and the difficulty in attributing specific policy outcomes to lobbying activities.
The chapter on "Proposals for Regulation of the lobbying sector" explores both self-regulatory and government-imposed measures aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability in lobbying. It examines the arguments for and against self-regulation, highlighting its potential limitations, and discusses the need for government-led regulations to address issues of transparency, accountability, and the potential for corruption.
The chapter on "Regulation of lobbying in the EU" presents the European Union as a case study for the application of regulatory measures to lobbying. It explores the challenges posed by a large and influential lobbying sector in Brussels, highlighting the measures taken by both the European Union and the Society of European Affairs Professionals (SEAP) to promote transparency and ethical practices.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The key terms and concepts explored in this paper include: lobbying, democratic governance, transparency, accountability, regulation, self-regulation, government regulation, influence, corruption, European Union, interest groups, public policy, ethical practices.
- Quote paper
- Jana Eckei (Author), 2013, Lobbying. An indicator for democratic governance?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/231810