Why is the NRA so effective at lobbying?

NRA lobby spending. Dan Auble, a senior researcher at CRP, said NRA's spending was at a record high but remained “paltry” in comparison to groups like the pharmaceutical industry. If the gun lobby is to be successful, it needs to spend money in Washington, and it does. read more

But the NRA has a much larger membership than any of those groups and disburses funds for things such as gun ranges and educational programmes. In terms of lobbying, the NRA officially spends about $3m per year to influence gun policy - the recorded spend on lobbying in 2014 was $3.3m. read more

The N.R.A.’s annual lobbying budget is around three million dollars, which is about a fifteenth of what, say, the National Association of Realtors spends. The N.R.A.’s biggest asset isn’t cash but the devotion of its members. read more