This is the first in a short series of videos by Arnold Public Affairs. In this first video, Ellen Arnold explains what lobbying is and that everyone lobbies in some form.
A lobbyist is an advocate. Ellen tells us that the term “lobbying” came about during the period of President Grant. He used to frequent the Willard Hotel in D.C. and people who wanted to influence legislation started to hang out in the lobby of the hotel waiting for him to arrive. President Grant eventually took to calling them “lobbyists” and the term stuck.
This term is still used today — and in fact, in Texas, lobbying at the Capitol still sometimes takes place outside the entrance to the House chamber.
In the video Ellen uses the examples below to explain how lobbying is a daily occurrence in our lives.
– A wife who wants a pool in the back yard tells her husband that investing in the pool is a good idea because the kids will spend more time at home.
– A teenager lobbies for use of the family car by highlighting his good driving record and telling his parents he will drop his sister at school and pick her up.
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