One upside of lobbying is that Congressmen deal with a load of issues that's near impossible to research fully and make an informed decision on due to the high number. One of the key lobbying techniques is bringing that information as well as public opinion polls and the like to the politicians. Obviously that research can be biased in some cases, but then again not all lobbyists are oil reps or serving the interest of x company. If we ban lobbying we're making it more difficult for organizations fighting to end domestic abuse, marijuana legalization, less police brutality, and other important issues to have their voices heard in Washington. So should we just ban lobbying from people or ideas we don't like?
It's a mixed bag, and I think that it's done enough good and bad to take up either side of the fence and be justified with your opinion.
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Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.
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