Part of the work of my sabbatical has been to study interest groups in the state of Idaho. By using various measures, I am attempting to determine which groups in the state are the most effective in getting policies implemented for their constituents. In a pluralist world, interest groups are an important factor in how our political system operates. What I have found is that who the group represents is only one factor in determining whether the group is effective or not.

The study of interest groups in the United States begins with James Madison. He saw groups as applying the “Mischief of Faction” to civic society. The various “auxiliary precautions” included in the Constitution, that were to have ambition counteract ambition, were designed not to eliminate groups, which Madison considered worse than their mischief, but to control their effects. The pluralists of the political science community in the middle of the twentieth century saw the virtues of having a multitude of groups competing against each other to produce a compromise that would be in the best interests of the whole country. Though there are obvious empirical and normative problems with the pluralist model, including, quoting E.E. Schattschneider, that, ”the flaw in the pluralist heaven is that the heavenly chorus sings with a strong upper-class accent,” the importance and influence of interest groups in our society should not be overlooked.

Lobbying is a right of all citizens and is protected in both the U.S. Constitution (First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law … prohibiting … or abridging … the right of the people … to petition the Government for a redress of grievances”) and the Idaho Constitution (Article I, Section 10: “The people shall have the right … to petition the legislature for the redress of grievances”). How one petitions the government is as important as whom the petitioner is representing.

Most people envision lobbyists as cigar-smoking blowhards who hand out bags of money to legislators in return for votes. The role of the lobbyist in the policy process is much more complex and difficult to measure. The importance of lobbyists is enhanced with Idaho’s citizen legislature. Without any staff and with outside occupations, Idaho state legislators need the information that is provided by the lobbyists. How that information is presented is what separates the effective lobbyists from those who do not obtain much for their clients.

My investigations have shown that the talents of the lobbyist are critical for the success of any group. What is the most important trait for a successful lobbyist? Every legislator and lobbyist has told me the same characteristic for success: Creditability. A lobbyist who is not trusted can not be effective. Legislators expect lobbyists to explain not only their side of the issue but also who is against their position and why. No matter what group or corporation the lobbyist represents, if he or she is not trustworthy, they will not be successful.

Being a successful lobbyist is more than telling the truth. There is a great deal of strategy on how to approach an issue, where to start the process and which legislators should be approached. I am told lobbying cannot be learned in a book and is instead a talent that must be cultivated through experience and tacit knowledge.

Recent legislation should provide more sunshine on the role of lobbyists through increased disclosures and a clearer definition of what constitutes lobbying. The true beauty of our legislature is the access it provides for everyone. Idaho legislators are open and accessible to everyone in the state, not just lobbyists. Constituents can have the greatest influence on individual legislators, more so than even the most creditable lobbyist.

Go Yotes.

Dr. Jasper M. LiCalzi
Professor
Department of Political Economy
The College of Idaho