In this chapter and the next, I begin my exploration of lobbying by examining public policy lobbying – that is, the lobbying that accompanies government decisions (e.g., laws, rules, regulations, court decisions) made in response to societal demands for action on important issues of the day. Unfortunately, it is arguably more difficult to reach definitive conclusions about public policy lobbying than it is to reach such conclusions about either procurement or land-use lobbying. This is the case because the range of public policy issues with which governments in the United States deal is exceptionally broad. Governments in this country concern themselves with high-profile issues such as affirmative action, the environment, gay rights, gun control, health care, and taxes, as well as less visible issues such as agriculture price supports, banking regulation, and trade with Peru. Indeed, the range of public policy issues with which governments deal is virtually unbounded. Nonetheless, it is possible to reach some general conclusions about public policy lobbying.

This chapter presents some basic information about how public policy decisions in the United States are made. I examine who public policy lobbyists are and what types of organized interests they represent, concluding with a brief overview. Chapter 4 examines what public policy lobbyists do. You may have noticed that while I devote only one chapter each to land use and procurement lobbying, I devote two chapters to public policy lobbying. Does this mean that I think it is more important than the others?