Lobbying does not have a particularly positive image in the United States, mainly because of its association with large banks and corporations, and subverting the legislative and regulatory process in favor of big business against the public interest. Lobbyists spent over a billion dollars a year at the federal level, which was more than money spent on campaign contributions. In 2009, the energy industry spent $450 million lobbying Congress and the finance, real estate and insurance industry $475 million (Wiener 2011). Academic economists and political scientists tend to be overwhelmingly negative about this type of lobbying and its effect on American democracy, and critical of rent-seeking industries, interest groups and politicians. On the other hand, the positive side of lobbying includes grassroots campaigns conducted by a wide variety of organizations, from Common Cause to the NAACP and National Organization for Woman to the Sierra Club and Environmental Defense Fund. While…...

mla

REFERENCES

Austen-Smith, D. And J.R. Wright (1992). "Competitive Lobbying for a Legislator's Vote." Social Choice and Welfare. Vol. 9, July 1992, pp. 229-57.

Bennedsen, M. And S.E. Feldmann. (2002). "Lobbying Legislatures." Journal of Political Economy. Vol. 110, No. 4, pp. 919-48.

Besley, T. And S. Coate. (2001). "Lobbying and Welfare in a Representative Democracy." Review of Economic Studies. Vol. 68, pp. 67-82.

Debel, E., M. Jackson and A. Wolinsky. (2009). "Vote Buying: Legislatures and Lobbying." Quarterly Journal of Political Science. Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 103-28.

" (Tripathi, Ansolabehere, and Snyder, 2002)
Additionally, groups that place emphasis on lobbying tend to may more attention to the position of power that members hold inside Congress and pay less attention to the electoral circumstances of member than do other groups and as well groups that place emphasis on lobbying "also appear to be more bipartisan and less ideological than other groups, giving more equally to both parties and more broadly across the ideological spectrum." (Tripathi, Ansolabehere, and Snyder, 2002)

t was reported on December 11th 2008 in the work entitled: "Auto ndustry Bailout: House Members Voting 'Yes' Received 65% More from Auto ndustry nterest Groups than those Voting 'No'" that research had revealed that "over the past five years (January 2003-October 2008) auto manufacturers, auto dealers and labor unions gave an average of $74,100 in campaign contributions to each Representative voting in favor of the auto bailout, compared with an…...

mla

Ibid

Ibid

Biggest PAC Contributors Boost Spending (2009) Under the Influence -- National Journal 23 April 2009. Online available at: http://undertheinfluence.nationaljournal.com/2009/04/biggest-pac-contributors-boost.php

Lobbying for Federal Policy Change
EA Electronic Arts is a leading global interactive entertainment software company (Company Information, 2012). EA Electronic Arts develops, publishes, and distributes gaming software for Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones, tablets, and social networks. They have a voluntary rating system to enable appropriate decision making for consumers and online privacy practices.

Federal fiscal policies affect EA Electronic Arts in respects to being a multinational organization responsible for foreign taxes on repatriated revenue from other countries and in respects to investments and investment credits it is allowed on a federal income tax return. The federal taxation rate is 39.2% for 2013 (Masters, 2012). U.S. have the highest tax rates in the world and coupled with complex tax subsidies and loopholes create a double flawed system. Multinational corporations are taxed on repatriated profits, after being taxed in other countries, which create burdens in business with compliance and planning costs.

This…...

mla

Bibliography

Company Information. (2012). Retrieved from EA:  http://www.ea.com/about 

Masters, J. (2012, Apr 5). U.S. Corporate Tax Reform. Retrieved from Council on Foreign Relations:  http://www.cfr.org/united-states/U.S.-corporate-tax-reform.p27860 

Weil, D. (2008). Fiscal Policy. Retrieved from Library of Economics and Liberty:  http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/FiscalPolicy.html

Some of these organizations and firms need to adopt change because of immigration, demographic, outsourcing, and technological factors. An example of a field that needs some changes is the nursing profession due to changing nature of the workforce and the multicultural working environment.
The main thing I could change in the nursing profession is the ratio between nurses and patients as there are more patients than nurses. The reason for the change is necessitated by the changing nature of the nursing field as more nurses are required to attend to the increasing number of patients in order to improve patient outcome. The most appropriate plan for effecting the change would be Lewin's Three-Step Model i.e. unfreezing, movement, and refreezing (obbins & Judge, 2012). The plan would involve increasing the driving forces for changing the status quo such as creating awareness on the need for improved patient care through increasing the…...

mla

Reference:

"Chapter 25: Lobbying Policymakers: Individual and Collective Strategies." (n.d.). Unit IV:

Policy and Politics in the Government. p. 747 -- 759.

Robbins, S.P. & Judge, T.A. (2012). Organizational Change and Stress Management. In Essentials of organizational behavior (11th ed., pp. 234-246). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Such a bill will be more costly for everyone involved, so the epublicans may also prefer the bill not be passed because they will want to save money. If they are also presented with petitions from consumers, they are likely to back off or fail to support measures taken by the FDA to promote labeling of high fat products. National Pizza must also realize that roughly 15% of economic activity (amsay 4) flows through the health sector, so the economic "stakes" of any policy that is changed or altered may be quite high (amsay 1995). The epublicans are not likely to enforce a bill that may have grave economic consequences on the economy. National Pizza can use this information to its benefit, by letting Congressman know through lobbying efforts just how detrimental to the economy labeling of food products as "high fat" may be.
National Pizza should then embark on…...

mla

References

Berry, Jeffrey M. The New Liberalism, the Rising Power of Citizen Groups. New York:

Brookings Institution, 1999.

Danaher, Kevin and Mark, John. Insurrection: Citizen Challenge to Corporate Power.

New York: Routledge, 2003.

Karen Ignagni, AHIP's president asserts that 77% of all Americans are satisfied with their health insurance coverage. However, the same June survey by the New York Times and CBS News cited by Ignagni also found that 72% of all Americans support the creation of a universal public option of insurance coverage. The public option is opposed by AHIP. Significantly, those who described their health as "excellent -- people who presumably had relatively little experience pursuing medical care or submitting claims -- were almost twice as likely as those in good, fair or poor health to rate their private health insurance as excellent" (Hilzenrath 2009, p1.).
By cleverly spinning such poll results, AHIP has been able to frighten even some moderate and conservative Democrats about their ability to be reelected. epublicans have tried to play a populist 'card' by crowing that their opposition to the Obama Administration's proposed reforms is the…...

mla

References

Adams, Rebecca. (2009, June 1). Harry and Louise: Bit players or lethal weapons?

CQ Politics. Retrieved February 28, 2010 at http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000003131392

Andre, Claire & Manuel Velasquez. (2010). System overload: Pondering the ethics of America's health care system. Markula Center for Applied Ethics. Santa Clara University.

Retrieved February 28, 2010 at  http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v3n3/system.html

Lobbyists in American Government
Lobbying is something that has been taking place for many years. People who have special interests and want to see specific things happen throughout the country often hire lawyers and others who have connections. These connected people will then argue for legislation - generally in Congress. The way lobbyists work can be easily misunderstood, and it is generally quite controversial. A large segment of the American public seems to be very concerned about how lobbyists operate and whether they have the best interests of the country at heart, or whether they are only concerned about the group or cause for which they are lobbying. However, there are many rules that lobbyists must follow. If they do not follow all of the appropriate rules they can be fined and even sent to jail (Clemens, 1997). Lobbying was determined to be free speech by the courts, so it is…...

mla

References

Balogh, Brian "Mirrors of desires': Interest groups, elections, and the targeted style in twentieth-century America," in Meg Jacobs, William J. Novak, and Julian Zelizer, eds. The Democratic Experiment: New Directions in American Political Theory, (2003), 222 -- 49

Baumgartner, Frank R., and Beth L. Leech. Basic Interests: The Importance of Groups in Politics and in Political Science (1998), 64 -- 82

Clemens, Elisabeth S. The People's Lobby: Organizational Innovation and the Rise of Interest-Group Politics in the United States, 1890 -- 1925 (1997)

Loomis, Christopher M. "The Politics of Uncertainty: Lobbyists and Propaganda in Early Twentieth-Century America," Journal of Policy History Volume 21, Number 2 (2009)

Abbott Labs Lobbying ecommendations
Lobbying ecommendations for Abbott Labs

Fiscal policies by the Federal and State governments have a direct effect on the ability of Abbott Labs to remain in a growth position. As a member of the drug and medical device manufacturing market segment, health care & medical policies have the greatest impact on business. Abbott Labs includes lobbying funds as part of its annual budget. This is a prudent measure due to the direct impact that Health Care policy has on both revenues and profit from the lab. Lobbying money must be targeted towards issues that have a direct impact on Abbott's current and future product lines. The following outlines several suggestions for prudent use of Abbott's lobbying budget in the 2013 fiscal year.

Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice Act of 2009

H.. 684 proposes to require the U.S. government to negotiate drug prices down for Medicare patients. The results of…...

mla

References

Keenan, J. (2012). Lobbying Expenditures Disclosure 2012 -- Abbott Laboratories. Retrieved September 1, 2012 from http://www.onlineethicalinvestor.org/eidb/wc.dll-eidbproc~reso~9978

Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice Act of 2009. § H.R. 684. (2009). Retrieved

September 1, 2012 from http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z-c111:H.R.684:

White House. (2012), Policies to Contain Cost and Ensure Fiscal Sustainability. Retrieved September 1, 2012 from  http://www.whitehouse.gov/health-care-meeting/proposal/whatsnew/cost-sustainability

The European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, is responsible for proposing legislation and managing its implementation, provides the greatest admission to lobby groups via its Directorates General (DGs). DG's are distinct divisions, made up of Commission staff that is accountable for precise responsibilities or strategy areas. DG's often check with experts and interest groups when studying specific matters falling within EU jurisdiction. In 2008, the European Commission started a voluntary register of lobbyists who seek to pressure EU decision-making (Lobbying in the EU: An Overview, 2008).

The Council of the European Union, which is made up of the ministers of each Member State and is the chief decision-making body of the EU, is the least available of the main EU institutions in terms of lobbying. The Council preserves no register of lobbyists and refers contact with interest groups to the European Commission. Yet, national ministers regularly sustain associations…...

mla

References

Dedicated body needed to enforce EU waste law, European Commission study says. (2010).

Retreived from  http://www.sofiaecho.com/2010/02/01/851107_dedicated-body-needed -

to-enforce-eu-waste-law-european-commission-study-says

Dedicated EU body needed to ensure enforcement of European waste law. (2010). Retrieved

Many times the individual who desires to give natural childbirth simply is unable to do so because perhaps the baby is too large to move through the birth canal or labor has gone on as long as safety can allow. Ethics should guide both the midwife and the obstetrician in this area and that which is the domain of the midwife should not be crowded by shadowing of the obstetrician and likewise the midwife's ethical responsibilities demand that the midwife hand the client over to the obstetrician when medical safety thus demands. There are many political, socioeconomic, and ethical considerations that drive the focus of the groups that are examined in this study. The AMA and ACOG certainly are likely to feel threatened by the midwives organizations who advocate for childbirth that is free from the offerings of the medical doctors when possible. The offerings of the members of…...

mla

Bibliography

Heimann, Margaret, Zoe (2009) a Midwife Unifying Cause: Inducing State Regulation of Midwifery through Grassroots Lobbying. American Public Health Association, 11 Nov 2009. Online available at:  http://apha.confex.com/apha/137am/webprogram/Paper203186.html 

Background Information about the AMA and ACOG (2009) Citizens for Midwifery. Online available at: http://cfmidwifery.org/pdf/Background%20information%20about%20the%20AMA%20&_%20ACOG%20FINAL.pdf

Hodges, Susan (2008) What Are Our Rights in Childbirth. CFM News Fall 2008. Online available at: http://cfmidwifery.org/pdf/What%20ARE%20our%20rights.pdf

Hodges, Susan (2009) 'Safety' in Childbirth: What Does This Mean? What is 'Safe' Enough?' Citizens for Midwifery. Online available at: http://cfmidwifery.org/pdf/SafetyinChildbirth2009cfm.pdf

4).
Though there has been a requirement to disclose those contributions since January 1, 2008, over the past 18-month period, ending June 30, 2009, over $56 million has been given to organizations and events that honor lawmakers and administration officials (Roth & Knott, 2009). Many of the donations are questionable.

In 2008, Boeing donated $9.2 million, including support for the Johnstown Symphony concert honoring democrat John Murtha of Pennsylvania, who happens to be Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. Boeing won more than $24 billion in federal contracts in FY 2007. The House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct is reviewing Murtha's ties to the lobbying firm PMA which made the contribution and which secures defense earmarks from lawmakers (Roth & Knott, 2009, para. 2, 5-6).

Enforcement

Though many in Congress will point to the 2009 prosecution and conviction of lobbyist Jack Abramoff for fraud, tax evasion, and conspiracy to bribe…...

mla

Works Cited

Bogardus, K. (2009, September 22). Bundling rule doesn't capture all the fundraising by lobbyists. Retrieved October 6, 2009, from thehill.com:  http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/59851-bundling-rule-doesnt-capture-all-the-fundraising-by-lobbyists 

Chaddock, G. (2007, August 1). Congressional lobby reform aims at disclosure. Retrieved October 4, 2009, from Christian Science Monitor:  http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0801/p01s03-uspo.html 

HSUS. (2008, May 15). Federal government documents show illegal American Egg Board interference with California anti-cruelty ballot initiative. Retrieved October 6, 2009, from Humane Society of the United States (HSUS):  http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/americaneggboard051508.html 

Johnson, M. (2007, January 25). PACs help lobbyists bypass ethics laws. Retrieved October 6, 2009, from nclobbyreform.org:  http://www.nclobbyreform.org/press/articles.php?id=593

The lobbyist Maureen Mulhall for example has an Internet presence by means of which she conducts her grassroots lobbying efforts, while also directly communicating with legislators in order to make necessary and effective changes to the legislation (IlOTA, 2010).
Advocacy in turn is a much more broad spectrum of activities, with a much broader focus than lobbying. Lobbying may form a part of the advocacy effort, but this is not necessarily the case. The IlOTA (2010) Website for example includes links to legislative issues that might respond well to advocacy efforts. Advocacy is also most effective when done on an ongoing basis, and over a period of time (Nursing-Informatics.com, 2010). For Occupational Therapy, advocacy could include such actions as placing regular articles in local newspapers that focus on health issues, feature stories regarding the assistance that Occupational Therapists provide to certain interest groups, and provide publications regarding the profession and…...

mla

References

eBasedTreatment.org. (2010). Advocacy vs. Lobbying. Retrieved from: http://www.ebasedtreatment.org/treatment/toolbox/advocacy/advocacy-versus-lobbying

IlOTA. (2010). Lobbying for OT Profession. Retrieved from:  http://ilota.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=36 

Nursing-Informatics.com. (2010). Appendix I: What is the Advocacy Process? Retrieved from:  http://www.nursing-informatics.com/N4111/LA12_appendix.pdf

This implies the need to identify each member and keep a track of his access to the company services.
The complete elimination of free rider possibilities by not creating any free services. This solution nevertheless is not sustainable from a marketing standpoint as it does not provide the prospective customers with the ability to test the company's services, and it as such does not raise consumer familiarity or interest.

The partial elimination of the free services with the division of a single service into an initial free part, and a paid continuation.

Based on the characteristics of each of the three alternative solutions, the final recommendation is that of providing demonstrative free services, which introduce the customer to the company's services and generate interest and demand. In other words, the third alternative should be selected.

d) Lobbying organization

By becoming a lobbying organization, the Sports Fan Coalition would gain an increased ability to influence…...

mla

References:

Berger, C., 2008, Strategic sports marketing -- the impact of sport advertising upon consumers: Adidas -- a case study, GRIN Verlag

Hall, R.L., Wayman, F.W., 1990, Buying time: moneyed interests and the mobilization of bias in congressional committees, the American Political Science Review, Vol. 84, No. 3

Wright, J.R., 1989, PAC contributions, lobbying and representation, the Journal of Politics, Vol. 51, No. 3

Yoho, J., 1995, Madison on the beneficial effects of interest groups: what was left unsaid in "federalist" 10, Polity, Vol. 27, No. 4

This functional definition underlies many academic definitions of 'lobbying,' if not the letter of Federal Election Commission reporting statutes. McGrath (2007) quotes what he calls "the most influential P text yet written" (269-70), Grunig and Hunt's 1984 assertion that "lobbyists attempt to focus attention on issues, facts and appeals that will lead to acceptance of their clients' point-of-view." Thomas and Hrebenar (2008) define 'lobbyist' as a "person designated by an interest or interest group to facilitate influencing public policy in that group's favor by performing one or more of the following for the group" which list includes monitoring governmental rulemaking activity, "advising on political strategies and tactics," direct contact with public officials, and managing the overall effort to affect policy outcomes (4). These authors expand these activities to "include decisions about who gets elected to make those policies," including representing "informal groups" not required to report more formalized lobbying expense…...

mla

References

Armour, S. (2012). Food safety official's past work for Monsanto spurs petition for ouster.

Sustainability, Bloomberg.com. 29 Feb. 2012. Retrieved from:  http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-29/food-safety-official-s-ties-to-monsanto-spur-petition-for-ouster.html 

Barker, D. (n.d.). Biotech eggplant: Ignoring the resounding 'no.' Genewatch 23(1). Reprinted in Foundation for Biotechnology Awareness and Education (2008). Retrieved from  http://fbae.org/2009/FBAE/website/false-propagand_biotech_eggplant.html 

Carson, R. (1962). Silent spring. New York: Fawcett.

In traditional terms lobbying represents a democratic means of expressing the legitimate interest in a certain affair that is the matter of debate on the legislative forum. Groups of interests and businessmen have the right to support their interests and people with experience in Washington are more indicated to promote their cause. Still, there should be a stricter law of the lobbying activity, in which transparence and fairness should be a prerequisite condition for the activity of lobby.

alph eed is an important figure in the scandal, as he is an influential man in Georgia. According to reports, "His expertise as a campaign strategist is widely credited with helping in the election of Sen. Saxby Chambliss, putting Sonny Perdue in the governor's mansion, and allowing the epublicans to win control of the state senate for the first time since the days of econstruction." He even used his organization, the Christian Coalition,…...

mla

References

American Atheists. Abramoff Cops, Washington Shakes -- Will Trail of Corruption & Influence Peddling Lead to Ralph Reed, Evangelicals. 2006. 14 December 2007  http://www.atheists.org/flash.line/reed1.htm 

Birnbaum, Jeffrey "H. Going Left on K. Street. More Democrats Hired to Lobby Despite GOP Efforts to Shut Them Out." Washington Post. July 2, 2004. 14 December 2007.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21972-2004Jul1.html 

United States Senate. Lobbying. 2007 14 December 2007.  http://www.senate.gov/reference/reference_index_subjects/Lobbying_vrd.htm

Analyzing the issues in the legislation process depends on where the legislation is being written.  Lawmakers in different countries have to follow different processes to create law.  Even within countries, legislators may follow different legislative processes in different states or provinces. 

Generally, a law starts out as an idea.  A lawmaker realizes that there is a problem that needs to be addressed and that can be handled through legislation.  They may realize this on their own through their research, because a lobbying or special interest group come to the lawmakers with the issue, or because another....

Homelessness: A Social Crisis and Human Tragedy

Introduction:

Homelessness, a multifaceted issue that plagues countless lives, demands urgent attention and comprehensive understanding. It is a complex phenomenon with far-reaching consequences, affecting physical and mental health, socioeconomic well-being, and the stability of communities. This essay explores a range of topics related to homelessness, delving into its causes, effects, and potential solutions.

Topic 1: Causes of Homelessness

Socioeconomic factors: Poverty, unemployment, lack of affordable housing
Personal factors: Mental illness, substance abuse, domestic violence
Systemic factors: Inadequate social support systems, discriminatory housing practices

Topic 2: Effects of Homelessness

Physical health: Increased risk of chronic diseases, malnutrition, injuries
....

Labor Unions: Uniting Workers for Collective Empowerment

Labor unions have played a pivotal role in shaping the modern workforce, empowering workers to collectively bargain for better working conditions, wages, and benefits. Through their advocacy efforts, unions have been instrumental in establishing crucial labor laws and safeguarding workers' rights. However, their impact extends beyond the economic sphere, fostering a sense of solidarity and community among members and contributing to broader social and political change.

The Historical Role of Labor Unions

The origins of labor unions can be traced back to the early days of industrialization, when workers faced rampant exploitation and unsafe working conditions.....

Essay Topic Ideas Related to Gun Control

General Perspectives:

The Impact of Gun Control Laws on Public Safety and Gun Violence
Ethical and Constitutional Considerations in Gun Control Debates
The Role of Education and Mental Health in Addressing Gun Violence
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Gun Control Measures in Reducing Crime

Specific Policy Implications:

Universal Background Checks: Pros and Cons
Assault Weapon Bans: Justifiable or Excessive?
Red Flag Laws: Protecting Public Safety or Infringing on Rights?
Magazine Capacity Limits: Balancing Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights

Social and Cultural Factors:

The Historical Context and Evolution of Gun Culture in the United States
The Influence....