Government Policy Toward Big Business: Interest Group Lobbying Tactics

In order to influence government policy about big business, interest groups often develop an overarching policy position and a strategy for promoting it. For example, protecting the environment and reducing reliance on foreign oil have been both frequent and recent policy positions that affect business strategy. Promoting a specify policy objective in the public arena may mean following the issue for years to come from the development of laws in the legislative branch into the agency’s implementation of the law in the executive branch. The four ways to promote an issue discussed by the text are (1) lobbying policymakers with personal contact (i.e., direct lobbying); (2) members of an interest group contact policymakers (i.e., grassroots lobbying); (3) public relations to gain public support (i.e., information campaigns); (4) joining forces and resources with other interest groups (i.e., coalition building).

Each of the above lobbying tactics has characteristics that can be applied by various special interest groups. First, direct lobbying most often consists of making personal contact with policymakers to provide them with updated information that supports the interest group’s position. Direct lobbying may also take the form of testifying before a legislative body, during litigation or filing formal complaints with a responsible administrative agency. Second, grassroots lobbying rallies the support of the interest group’s members and supporters from outside the organization to engage in guerilla lobbying such as letter writing, telephoning, FAXs, email, and possibly political protest events. Third, information campaigns are aimed at the public at large to educate, gain support for the interest group at all levels and indirectly to influence policymakers. Finally, coalition building involves aggregating the efforts and resources of multiple interest groups to apply maximum pressure for a common cause. Each of the lobbying tactics is manifested as strategies by the special interest group because they employ planning and concerted effort to accomplish the goal. Strategic and marketing planning processes within businesses need to recognize the externalities created by these special interest groups and respond accordingly.

Reference

Janda, K., Berry, J.M., & Goldman, J. (1995) The challenge of democracy: Government in America, (4th Ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.