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Government & Capitol Hill: Lobbying

Lobbying is the practice of influencing a governing body in order to reflect an individual's or organization's point of view in the legislature. Lobbyists target the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the state legislatures. They may also represent their clients' or organizations' interests in dealings with federal, state, or local executive branch agencies or the courts. A separate form of lobbying, called outside lobbying, seeks to affect the legislature or other bodies indirectly, through changing public opinion.

Most corporations and political interest groups hire lobbyists to promote their interests. Think tanks aim to lobby governments with the backing of supporting research and regular releases of detailed reports. Because the "business" of lobbying at the federal level is intricately intertwined with life on "The Hill," networking is extremely important.