Law Commons^™

Gaining Access: A State Lobbying Case Study, Trevor D. Dryer

Trevor D. Dryer

Although many articles, both in scholarly journals and in the popular press, have addressed the role of lobbyists, few have examined how the process actually works on the ground in state capitols across the country. Through interviews with registered lobbyists in California, this Article provides insight into the sur-prising effect of reform legislation on the actual practice of lobbying. For exam-ple, the interviewees claimed that reforms—such as legislative term limits or pro-hibitions on lobbyists making campaign contributions—have not changed the role money plays for many lobbyists in gaining access, and have actually increased the influence of the professional lobby. These …