Public Relations And Lobbying

The term lobbyist acquired recognition and some popularity in the United States during the 1800s to describe the persons who hung around the lobbies of the US Congress and state legislatures. Their main job was to influence the lawmakers to support the interests they represented. Thus, process of advocating ideas to the legislatures is known as lobbying. In the democratic America, lobbying has become a big business. Despite the dubious reputation of fixers, the American lobbyists tend to be experienced lawyers.

The term lobbyist is often used interchangeably with the term pressure group to mean any organization or person that carries on activities, which have as their ultimate aim to influence the decisions of Congress, of the state and local legislatures, or of government administrative agencies. Lobbyists provide access to decision makers, monitor and influence important legislation, provide knowledge, expertise and analysis, and generally lubricate the wheels of government to the advantage of their clients. Lobbying which until 1955 was a sort of hush activity, has become a big business.

Lobbying, more often handled by the public relations professionals, over the years, has become a sophisticated job, it is a respectable profession. Although there is no organized activity visible in this area, yet a large number of people, with dubious reputation of fixers masquerading as liaison managers or even public relations professionals, go about the business of lobbying. However, certain organizations, public and private, themselves undertake the job of advocating their own interests.

Four major lobbies operating in America, who are so powerful that they mould the US congress decisions and the laws, as they want them to be. Major lobbies in America are the roads lobby, the tobacco lobby, the guns lobby, and the chemical cartel lobby.

Lobbyists Are Called Fixers

In India lobbyists are called fixers. Unlike in the United States, the profession of lobbyists in India is not legally recognised but suffers from the dubious reputation of fixers and con men. Until permit and quota raj was prevalent, such persons who were called liaison managers and also masquerade as Public Relations professionals, as they went around expediting matters in the lower ranks of the government and given the resources and clout would go around influencing policy makers for or against a law, which would serve the commercial interests of their employers. Lobbying can be divided into two categories, international and domestic. International Lobbying is very complicated with several layers of legal hurdles.

India has been relatively new to the lobbying game. When the economy was declared open, the need for influence peddling became greater. Here lobbying is known as advocacy by pressure groups or special interests groups. Indian lobbyists, better known as pressure groups, have a notable presence in the democratic system of peddling influences. Some of the characteristics of such pressure groups should be of interest to public relations professionals who may be assigned specific jobs in their respective organizations.

Groups like trade unions, business associations like the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), farmers cooperatives, and associations like the Chartered Accountants Association, Public Relations Societies, Indian Advertisers Association, Indian Union of Journalists, etc., are found everywhere in the world with certain similarities, who advocate their causes and issues that serve their interests.

Several religious, cultural and social organizations also sometimes known as NGOs operate in the country. These are generally headed by a political personality, the interests group works behind the scenes to garner public support for a party, particularly when the election fever grips the country. More often than not, such associations would change their alignments with the change in the government, and sit on the fence to wait which way to turn. Self-centered Groups are also very powerful. Such interests can be commercial, social, and political. Many parties with a religious flavour are the groups who have their own agendas to pursue.

There are Proxy Groups. In Politics, many media-made and party sponsored religious leaders who claim to reform the society and bring solace to the disturbed minds work as influential vote banks for a party. It is no surprise that they function as pockets of great influence due to the clout that they have with the political bosses. The con men, with influence in high places, work as consultants for large business houses to watch their client’s interests.