How did lobbying start in the US?

The controversial act of lobbying the federal government on behalf of a company or other interest group has been a subject of debate for much of the 20th and 21st centuries in the U.S. — but it's been a part of our politics since shortly after the nation was founded. read more

When lobbying did happen in those days, it was often "practiced discreetly" with little or no public disclosure. By one account, more intense lobbying in the federal government happened from 1869 and 1877 during the administration of President Grant near the start of the so-called Gilded Age. read more

In the Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act, Congress by broadly phrased and ambiguous language seemed to require detailed reporting and registration by all persons who solicited, received, or expended funds for purposes of lobbying, that is to influence congressional action directly or indirectly. In United States v. read more

It is possible for foreign nations to influence the foreign policy of the United States through lobbying or by supporting lobbying organizations directly or indirectly. For example, in 2016, Taiwanese officials hired American senator-turned-lobbyist Bob Dole to set up a controversial phone call between president-elect Donald Trump and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen, a move marking a shift in US foreign policy. read more