Interest organizations consistently affect public policy – that’s the conventional wisdom. As discussed in Chapter 5, however, the evidence for such influence is decidedly mixed, and my effort to find an especially strong relationship by carefully linking advocacy to policy change was unsuccessful. Indeed, advocacy had virtually no impact on policy change.

But perhaps it’s just publicly visible advocacy – advocacy reported in print – that has little or no impact. Perhaps advocacy closer to the policymaking process itself could be important, especially advocacy sought by policymakers themselves.

Many theorists hypothesize that advocates influence legislators by providing them with information that will, according to the advocates themselves, enhance the legislators’ effectiveness and help them win reelection. Congressional committee and subcommittee hearings may be especially important venues for communicating information. Witnesses – often expert witnesses – are called upon to give testimony; they may buttress their oral testimony with written reports providing additional information; and they are questioned by members of Congress who want the witnesses to clarify or supplement what they have said. Perhaps information provided by advocates at hearings affects policy change.