Summary Of Funding Faction Or Buying Silence By Beth Leech

In her study “Funding Faction or Buying Silence” Beth Leech tries to discover a relationship between organizations who lobby at a federal level and the Congressional funding that can come along with it. There are many laws in place to prevent the so-called “corrupt lobbying”; these laws, however, come with many loopholes. One of the major loopholes regarding the federal funding of lobbyists says that corporations cannot use their federally awarded funds in order to lobby; they can, however, use privately awarded funds. This loophole, and many others, is a major cause of tension between corporations and Congressional members, causing numerous attempts at policy changes. One criticism of the policy change, coming from both the right and the left,

Grants, Contracts and Interest Group Lobbying Behavior” Beth Leech tries to discover a relationship between organizations who lobby and the Congressional funding that comes along with it. There are laws put into place at the federal level to prevent corrupt lobbying; however, they are unsuccessful and these laws have loopholes that allow for corporations to have questionable lobbying practices.

One of the major policies in place says that corporations cannot use their federally awarded funds to lobby; instead corporations use their privately awarded funds, often given through donations. This use of loopholes is the cause of much tension between Congressional officials and corporations and there is a heated debate as to whether or not to enact stricter policies in the lobbying world. It is important to note that the policy changes that have been put into place, much to the disappointment from both the right and the left, are geared only towards nonprofit organizations who lobby at Congress, allowing others to lobby, including defense

Typically these perks are done so the eyes of the public cannot see, however, when it makes a news outlet, there is public outrage. The members of Congress who were elected to enact laws based on who they represent are instead padding their own pockets. Lobbyist groups generally have a bad reputation when thought of by the public; they are perceived as people who are only interested in gaining more money for their corporations. Congressmen rely almost entirely on their public perception, and by associating with lobbyists, they run the risk that during the next campaign, they will not be reelected. Congress is not the only one who receives benefits from this partnership; corporations also receive benefits in the form of regulations, such as taxes and help to produce items at a cheaper cost. This is due to the root cause of lobbying, which stems from a desire to make more money for their corporation, rather than a sense of duty to change an unjust law. This obvious goal of economic increase causes a distrust within the public eye, and gives them a bad