Comprehension

Refer closely to Text 1 and answer the questions:

1. What is lobbying according to the text?

2. Does the law regulate lobbying? How? Why?

3. Who is engaged in lobbying?

4. What are the forms of lobbying?

5. Why is lobbying a part of public relations function?

Vocabulary

1. Find in Text 1 equivalents for the following Russian words and phrases:

прямые (непосредственные) попытки; в корыстных целях; источники доходов и расходов; подкупить (соблазнить); приемлемое средство; принимать (закон); законодательный процесс; арсенал средств; заслуживающий доверия надёжный источник информации.

2. Give Russian equivalents for the following words and phrases:

a specialized subset; influence decisions; manipulation of government; protect the right; inforce laws; labor unions; special interest groups; thorough knowledge; nongovernmental publics; lawmakers; scrutinize; persuade; lavish parties; weekend outings.

3. Write out of Text 1 the phrases (V+N...) that describe the principal activities of lobbyists, e.g.: to petition the government. Give their Russian equivalents.

4. Match up the words on the left with the definitions on the right:

stock-in-trade lobbying legislator to petition to delegate official advocate

to ask the government or an organization to do something by sending it a petition; to choose someone to do a particular job or to be a representative of a group, organization, etc.; the things you need to do your job; someone who has a responsible position in an organization; an activity to persuade a public official to support or oppose certain action; someone who publicly supports a particular way of doing things; someone who has the power to make laws or belongs to an institution that makes laws.

Text Discussion

1. Is lobbying strong in Russia? Give examples.

2. Is lobbying ethical?

3. Prove positive (negative) role of lobbying, give your arguments, examples.

Over to you

Role Play

Take an interview from a professional lobbyist. Ask him/her about his/her background, job (education, career, ex-jobs, necessary knowledge), relations with the law, the process of lobbying, the importance of lobbying.

Complete Text 2 using the words in the box.

legislative supplied officials favoured employing substantial conflicting full-time committees organized

Text 2

Lobbying

In its original meaning lobbying referred to efforts to influence the votes of legislators, generally in the lobby outside the (1)…... chamber. Lobbying in some form is inevitable in any political system.

Lobbying, takes many forms. Group representatives may appear before legislative (2)…... . Public officials may be "buttonholed" in legislative offices, hotels, or private homes. Letters may be written or telephone calls made to public (3)…... , and campaigns may be (4)…... for this purpose. Organizations may provide (5)…... candidates with money and services. Massive public relations campaigns (6)…... all the techniques of modern communication may be launched to influence public opinion. Extensive research into complex legislative proposals may be supplied to legislative committees by advocates of various and often (7)…... interests. (8)…... election campaign contributions or other assistance may be (9)…... to favoured legislators or executives. The persons who lobby in these ways may be (10)…... officials of a powerful trade or agricultural association or labour union, individual professional lobbyists with many clients who pay for their services, or ordinary citizens who take the time to state their hopes or grievances. Cities and states, consumer and environmental protection and other "public interest" groups, and various branches of the federal government also maintain staff lobbyists in the United States.

Read Text 3 and do the tasks.

text 3

Lobbyist for the Masses

Flashbulbs crackled, bureaucrats beamed, and reporters scribbled as California Governor signed the "eight-hour workday" bill into law Tuesday morning in Sacramento.

Meanwhile, Silicon Valley bosses rumbled with reproach. And made their plans.

"This is exactly the sort of political decision that is about politics as usual and not about the real needs of the mainstream majority," said Mark Pincus, founder of software company Tioga. "And that’s why I started EParty, the alternative lobby for the mainstream."

According to Pincus, laws like the eight-hour bill create the need for a grassroots organization like EParty. The bill mandates overtime pay for anyone working beyond eight hours, a situation that some believe will wreak havoc with the ad hoc work arrangements typical of Silicon Valley start-ups.

Pincus founded EParty six months ago with three other Bay Area professionals. "The concept of EParty is that it is an alternative to hyper-specialized lobby groups, with just one political agenda," said Pincus.

"It's a great egalitarian use of the medium of the Internet," said Tony Sherman, EParty's executive director, a real-estate broker-turned-Net-entrepreneur who runs IT machines. "The Internet is the perfect vehicle for the promotion of democracy."

If that sounds like dreaming, consider the success of another online lobby, MoveOn.org, born out of a desire to compel politicians to "move on" the impeachment campaign against President Clinton. In just five days between 25 and 30 June 1999, MoveOn raised $250,000 in pledges to support its list of candidates currently running for office.

"Because costs are so low, we can support low dollar amount contributions from the broadest group of ordinary citizens and actually give the contributions to the candidates and not the post office," said Wes Boyd, co-founder of MoveOn.org.

That provides enough clout to rub shoulders with similar, but higher profile lobbying groups, like Technology Network. And even though Tech Net's executive board twinkles with Silicon Valley luminaries, that doesn’t mean they’re any more effective. In fact, according to EParty’s Pincus, Tech Net is beginning to display some of the same stodgy narrow-mindedness of conventional political lobbies.

"I sent them an email asking why they didn’t take up the cause against the eight-hour workday bill, and they sent back a response, saying in effect, 'We have a set agenda of issues, and we pick the ones we feel certain we can win,'" said Pincus. "They want to preserve their image of being on the winning side."

A spokeswoman for Tech Net was quick to deny Pincus' assessment.

"Tech Net has taken on some really tough issues and opponents, like the trial lawyers' lobby, over the issue of uniform national standards for securities litigation," said Molly Knott. "We want to focus on issues that are of broad, critical importance to the industry."

1. Match 1 – 7 with a – g to form expressions from Text 3.

overtime online political impeachment executive grassroots tough

organization decision board opponent pay campaign lobby