Lobbying is a form of government relations that attempts to influence a government or institution’s policies and decisions in favor of a specific cause, according to the Open Government Partnership. Lobbyists are people outside of the government who are commonly experts in their field.

Lobbying can be done in a multitude of ways. According to Legistorm, it is most commonly seen through direct communication, campaign contributions, expert testimonies and research. Direct communication involves town hall attendances, phone calls and written correspondence in order to illustrate the group’s perspective. Campaign contributions include direct donations to candidates with similar interests, creating a sense of indebtedness that can influence policy decisions. Through expert testimony and research, lobbyists provide policymakers with credible information to bolster their arguments and shape and give merit to their opinions during hearings.

According to the Pew Research Center, 73% of adults in the United States say lobbyists and special interest groups have too much influence, and 72% say that there should be limits on the amount of money individuals and organizations can spend on political campaigns. Lobbying is a contentious issue. “The general public thinks lobbyists are just people with big money bags trying to buy votes, buy congress people and try to control Congress to their benefit,” said social studies teacher Jennifer Carlson.

According to data from OpenSecrets, billions of dollars are spent on lobbying every year, which raises concern among citizens about whether lawmakers are prioritizing public interest or private gain. Donations that some lobbyists make can contribute to legislators’ campaign funds and possibly influence decisions. “We do know that campaign contributions and political action committees do drive a lot of our campaign finance, so yes, there is an element to that,” said Carlson. “But lobbyists that I’ve heard before talk about the fact that they really are just informed on the topic, and they just want to share their information.”

The U.S. has many regulatory laws, such as the Lobbying Disclosure Act, which require lobbyists to register and report their activities. These regulations sometimes vary slightly by state; for example, Minnesota includes extra definitions of a lobbyist, considering those who participate in public hearings or proceedings on rules, grants and more as lobbyists, while many states like Missouri do not, according to the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board.

Lobbying also exists extensively around the world, as political debate and policies are molded into form in countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom and China. Still, each country has its own regulations and policies concerning lobbying, influenced by diverse cultures and beliefs. According to the European Parliament, countries such as France and Ireland have strict legislation regarding lobbying, requiring registration and codes of conduct, whereas other countries have more relaxed policies, if any. Denmark has soft regulations for lobbyists and Portugal has no legislation at all.

Although lobbying is a contentious issue, it can be used to provide a voice to the people and spur change. It is important to understand the nuances and benefits of it.

“People can’t be informed on every single issue, just like you can’t expect the president to know everything about everything. This is one way that they can use trusted lobbyists to inform themselves on issues where they may not have time to research it on their own,” said Carlson.