How Does Lobbying Benefit the Government?

Lobbyists are Topic Specialists

How does lobbying benefit the government? Well, lobbyists are topic specialists. When they are working with a client, they take the time to understand the complexities of the issue. In order to adequately represent a client, a lobbyist must become a subject matter expert on the topic. A lobbyist needs to know all angles of the issue as well as possible objections to the topic. By the time a lobbyist begins having meetings with legislators, they become a specialist in the area of the topic.

Lobbyists Ensure a More Informed Legislature

Lobbying helps ensure a more informed legislature. It is impossible for a legislator to be informed on all the issues. They just can’t research all the needs of the community because there isn’t enough time in the day, especially when you take into account that most legislators are also employed full time with established careers.  So, how does lobbying benefit the government? Lobbyists assist legislators by sharing research and information about current issues and trends. 

Lobbyists Research

When advocating for a specific cause or issue, lobbyists will work with stakeholders to gather information about the issue.  Frequently, the organizations that hire lobbyists will typically have done research on the issues that can be shared.

As part of the research process, they will look at the possible reasons for opposition to the issue. Lobbyists need to be prepared to address the concerns about the issue in order to avoid being unprepared when legislators have concerns. Because lobbyists need to have evidence to support their positions on issues, they will need to rely on research. This could be research from various government institutions, professionals or other sources. It may even include doing primary research by talking with constituents to see their experiences with the issue.

So how does lobbying benefit the government? In a way, lobbyists are helping ensure that legislators have access to research and information on key issues. Since legislators don’t have the time or resources to do research, lobbyists can help sift through the research and present pertinent information for lobbyists. Since lobbyists can represent both sides of an issue, the legislators will have a variety of information to review.

Lobbying Helps Provide Access to Legislators

Without lobbying, it would be nearly impossible to gain access to legislators. With everyone clamoring to have their issues heard, legislators would struggle to deal with the stream of letters, emails, and phone calls. As it is, legislators already struggle with all the voices wanting to be heard. A lobbyist will spend the time necessary to get the attention of legislators and share your concerns. Because a lobbyist’s full time job is lobbying for others, they will be able to engage in relationship building activities and make visits to the Capitol to forward your cause. 

Lobbyists Represent the Concerns of Many

A lobbyist helps represent the concerns of many. Often organizations will work together to hire a lobbyist. So a lobbyist may represent a whole organization of professionals instead of just one person. The lobbyist is able to show the impact of the issue by having multiple people expressing interest. So instead of one doctor contacting legislators about a concern, a lobbyist may be hired by the medical organization to represent all of the doctors. This adds urgency to the call for change.

Another example could be when individual groups join together in a common cause. If there is an education issue that is concerning, groups may join together and hire a lobbyist to represent them. This could include high education institutions which have a state organization to represent them. Or it could be a school district combining with other school districts. Or it could be parents being represented through the state PTA organization. 

 It could be a group of small business owners. It could be virtually any type of group that finds commonality in a concern and decides to work together to impact change. 

By hiring a lobbyist, these groups can have representation that will work for them and help their voices be heard.

Keep Issues at Top of Mind

Lobbyists ensure that important issues don’t get pushed aside. The daily routine of a legislator is full of people asking for support of their issues. You may feel good after you have that sit down with a legislator, but will the legislator remember your issue a couple of days later or even a couple of weeks later? With so many people coming forward with urgent issues, it can be difficult for a legislator to identify top priorities. 

How does lobbying benefit the government? Another way is that lobbyists can work to help build urgency for an issue and provide consistent awareness of an issue. They can schedule meetings and communications to keep the important issues at the legislators’ top of mind so that they don’t get forgotten or pushed aside for other issues. Most people don’t have time to do this kind of checking in and reminding. To learn more about lobbying, check out our blog.

Lockhart Group for Lobbying

When you have a problem that needs solving, you want to influence change.  Lobbyists are consultants that are hired to promote company interests inside the government sector. Public policy affects all of us. Lobbyists help organizations navigate through the complexities of the government.

The Lockhart Group currently has representation on Boards of Directors for the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce, Lone Peak Hospital, Utah Academy of Physician Assistants, University of Utah College of Engineering Industry Advisory, Provo School District Foundation, Thanksgiving Point, and Cambridge Preparatory Academy.

In the past, The Lockhart Group has had representation on the Boards of Directors for Utah Manufacturers Association, Utah Energy Users Association, Utah Taxpayers Association, Utah Technology Council, BSA Utah National Parks Council, Boys & Girls Club of Utah County, and Provo Rotary Club.

The Lockhart Group has also been active in politics. Stan Lockhart was Chair of the Utah Republican Party and has served in almost every grassroots position in the Party. He has served on the Provo City Council, Provo Planning Commission and Utah State Board of Education. Stan’s late wife Becky Lockhart was the first woman to be Utah Speaker of the House. 

The Lockhart Group has extensive experience in lobbying within the state of Utah. We can help you find solutions to problems.  Please reach out to find out how we can help you.