Why we shouldn't have to restrict the role of lobbyists in Washington

It is common knowledge that lobbyists have disproportionate influence on our legislative and executive branches of government. During the Bush years, the level of interest spending and influence on policy reached a breaking point. The oil industry managed to receive billions of dollars in subsidies and remove renewable energy from the 2007 energy security bill. The Democrats managed to succeed electorally in 2006 and 2008 based on anti-lobbyist rhetoric though they are by no means free from the influence of interest groups. These interests often have a detrimental effect on government policy and impede the most responsive branch of government from accurately reflecting the people's will.

Obama has been the most outspoken in his opposition to the influence of lobbyists on policy. This led him to ban lobbyists from influencing the implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act shortly after its passage. This inhibits the amount of experts that can contribute to this process, however, making this announcement bittersweet. The question is: what role should lobbyists be allowed in our political system?

I don't think they should be restricted nearly as much as they have been of late. Yes, forcing them to register with the government and banning expensive gifts to lawmakers is important, but it doesn't get to the root of the problem. The real problem is lobbying allows business interests to disproportionately influence decisions. And this is only because public participation in the lobbying process and the political process in general has decreased in the last two decades. With exception to 2008, voter turnout has been dropping steadily. Public knowledge of issues that affect their daily lives is very low. The only people with the money and time to make an actual difference in the political process is big business. Therefore the problem does not lie in lobbying itself, but in the lack of a knowledgeable and involved public to compete with it.