Lobbyist
Today's lesson focus is on interest groups or lobby groups. By the end of class you will know what they are, how they operated and be able to identify the particulars of their influence.
Today's lesson focus is on interest groups or lobby groups. By the end of class you will know what they are, how they operate, and be able to identify the particulars of their influence.
Read Google Joins Apple in Pushing for Tax Holiday
-after each black headline(7 in all) summarize the section into one meaningful sentence that captures the key point of the section. Do this on a piece of loose leaf to be collected
Go to www.opensecrets.org
click on lobbying on the left hand side of the page.Read
click on ranked sectors. Read and look at all the different sectors. Click around.
click on top spenders. read and look around.
Click on Interest Groups...Choose one then post a one paragraph comment on the blog explaining one specific interest group and their influence/ interest
Boeing is the top manufacturer of commercial airplanes. Boeing lobbies Congress to increase spending on defense and win military contracts. The company also pushed for Congress to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank, which gives loan guarantees to businesses. Boeing supports expanding free trade. In 2010, Boeing lobbied almost three million dollars.
ReplyDeleteAT&T is a strong competitive wireless phone provider. AT&T are lobbies congress to receive more money for advertising and posting service towers. In 2010, AT&T lobbied over $15,000,000
ReplyDeleteThe lobbyists try to fight for their causes or laws that support their interests for companies, ideals, and projects. Such issues like: Energy, transportation, construction, and defense are topics people lobby. After researching, I looked into the different segments of Energy lobbying. The most funded and lobbyist filled branch was oil and gas. The government put more importance on the production of oil than the research and usage of clean gas and oil alternatives. Exxon Mobil is one of the top spenders in lobbyists.
ReplyDeleteUS Chamber of Commerce is the top spender. They spend a lot more then the second top spender, The America Medical Assn. It talks about how the Chamber of Commerce's spending may go up or down depending upon how much attention the federal gov. is giving to their issues. I think this makes a lot of sense. Verizon Wireless, is the wireless phone provider that owns and operates the second largest mobile telecommunications network in the United States. Their Total Lobbying Expenditures is $16,750,000. They're really high up on the list.
ReplyDeleteInsurance is a hugs part of finance, insurance and real estate. As a lobbyist, they try to get people to use their insurance instead of another. One big insurance company is Blue Cross/Blue Shield. They produce commercials that underestimate all other insurance companies so people feel that they need a better company and some go to them and leave their previous insurance company. Blue Cross/ Blue Shield on a client/patient database is $12,317, 141.
ReplyDeleteAfter being broken up in the 1980s AT&T re-formed in 2005 and became the largest phone company when SBC communications bought AT&T Corp for 16 billion dollars. AT&T is the leading U.S wireless carrier with 54 million subscribers. The company has politically favored Republicans in its political giving. AT&T has spend $12,485,078 in lobbying 2010. AT&T lobby for more money to advertise.
ReplyDeleteLobbyist for AT&T, a top cell phone company, go to Washington to fight for more for the company. They want better service towers, and if needed ore money for the company. Last year alone AT&T spent over 15 million on lobbyist.
ReplyDeleteThe interest group i picked was General Electric. They have received $236,580,000 in funds from the government for spending through lobbyist since 1998. There influence on the government is to try and produce more energy saving products and healthcare. They have received over $39,200,000 in those 2 categories. GE wants to better America with better energy resources. Thats why they spend so much money on lobbyist
ReplyDeleteThe lobbyists support their causes on interest for companies and projects. Such issues like: transportation, construction, communication and defense are things that people lobby. After looking at some of the top spenders i looked into Lobbying for Boeing Co. The total lobbying expenditures for Boeing is $17,896,000. lobbying activity may go up or down over time, depending on how much attention the federal government is giving their issues. Particularly active clients often retain multiple lobbying firms, each with a team of lobbyists, to press their case for them. A lot of money is coming from Boeing.
ReplyDeleteAT&T is the biggest cell phone company spender for lobbyists, spending $161,557,725. AT&T has 17 lobbyists total. Some issues they are involved in are Health issues, Telecommunications, and finance.
ReplyDeleteAmerican Medical Assn. The lobbying activity may go up or down over time. Health Professionals is a huge part of the American Medical Association. There total lobbying expenditures is $22,555,000. It makes sense why this is one of the top lobbyist because you need alot of money for medical funding.
ReplyDeleteThe Red Cross. There spending increases and decreases dramatically. It has reached from $237,000 to $965,000. They have been trying to buy new buildings. Some of it has been focused on disasters and emergency planning, such as around the time of Hurricane Katrina. The Red Cross focused much of its efforts in 2010 on theU.S. House and Senate, but made a notable presence in the Emergency Federal Management Agency. This is great because much of the money we use should be used for medical spending.
ReplyDeleteGenerally, school districts, colleges and universities are not allowed to form political action committees. So, it's up to individuals associated with the field to lobby for the education industry. Top contributors amassed almost $60 million in 2008, with 82% of that going to Democratic candidates and committees. Nearly 40% of that money went to Barack Obama. Lobbying for education has generally increased over the years.
ReplyDeleteThe lobbying of computers and internets contribute a lot to the government. With all of the combined they contribute over 120 million dollars. The one I am most interested in is microsoft corporation since they contribute the most. Microsoft contributes over 6 million dollars to the lobbying. Microsoft contributes a lot for the government because without that they could not use word, powerpoint, and excel. These things from Microsoft help organize the government and help with the laws and bills.
ReplyDeletethe American Nurses Association has been strongly Democratic over the past few years.In the 09 health care reform debate nurse practitioners lobbied to be listed in the legislation alongside doctors as primary-care providers, hoping to make up for the shortage of doctors in a revamped system.
ReplyDeleteAt&t came back around in 2005.It's now the largest phone company, alot comes from it's advertisements and lobbying which they spend alot on. AT&T is the leading wireless carrier with 54 million subscribers. They have spent $12,485,078 in lobbying 2010. Th number can only get larger with all the new phones they are designing.
ReplyDeleteThe Lobbyists for pro-choice abortion are lobbying to make abortion more acceptable and get more funding from the government. This subject was controlled mainly by the republicans because George W. Bush was against abortion. But now that Obama is in office there is more push from Democrats and pro-choice supporters. The cause receives funding from a wide variety of groups but even though this is the case, there is still a stalemate between both sides.
ReplyDeleteGas and oils interested me because after the 2000's gas has risen very high. i was very surpised to see that they sent $238.7 million to candidates and parties since the 1990 election cycle, 75 percent of which has gone to Republicans.
ReplyDeleteAt&t is a big company that pays a lot of money to lobbyists each year...one of the reasons they are one of the leading phone companies year in year out. These people are trying to create new phones to compete aganist all the other companies
ReplyDeleteGeneral Motors has spent $116,379,170 on lobbying since 1998. I thought it was surprising that an American car company spends millions less than cell phone companies. In 2008 and 2009 GM faced a financial crisis because of the recession and spent more on lobbying than previous years in order to get more money to keep their plants open.
ReplyDeleteAT&T is the biggest cell phone company lobbyists, spending over $15,000,000 in 2010. AT&T has 17 lobbyists total. AT&T lobby for more money for advertising and posting service towers.
ReplyDeleteBoeing spent almost $18 million on lobbying and they may spend more depending on whether or not the government gives their issues attention. All of their money was spent on defense aerospace, nothing was put in towards transport.
ReplyDeletematt pangborn
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ReplyDeleteComcast spends more money on lobbyists every year. Comcast spent over 3 million dollars on lobbyist last year alone. Comcast spends so much money on these lobbyist so that the can squash their other television opponents. When they think that their competition will emerge they call one of their lobbyist. Their influence on American television is humongous compared to the other well known companies.
ReplyDeleteAT&T spends thousands of dollars a year on lobbists, they are the top spenders when it comes to cell phone companies. The reason that AT&T has lobbists is to make more money for their company and to also put up more service towers, so they can improve their service.
ReplyDeleteBrittany Cappella
Wal-mart is a company that is taking over and there gains of power are frightening. In 2009 they were recorded as the seconed largest corporation in America.Their contributions to both the house and the senate have increased over the years.Wal-mart has spent over 6 million on lobbying and have 90 lobbyists.
ReplyDeleteBoeing has been spending large amounts of money on just one cause. They have spent about 18 million dollars on lobbying. And nearly all of it has gone to defense aerospace. They are barely spending anything to try and make things like transportation any easier. I think that Boeing should use their money more wisely before everyone realizes where its going.
ReplyDeleteThe interest group I chose was abortion(pro-life.) Now with the government being ran by democrats it is harder to keep laws preventing funding for abortion. President Barrack Obama overturned Bush’s ban on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research within the first two months of his presidency. The Susan b. Anthony list spent $547,873 between 2009 - 2010 for the pro-life cause. This is in order to help keep funding for abortion out of health care legislation.
ReplyDeleteExxon mobile spends more on lobbying than any other gas company. In the last 12 years they have spent $151,286,942. They are doing this so that they can get laws passed in Washington that will help there company grow and beat out the other gas companys. I think its a good idea, and it will make there company stronger.
ReplyDeleteThe NRA or the National Rifle Association spends most of their money to protect the rights of every american citizen to own a gun. they oppose almost any gun control law. after the attacks of 9/11 they lobbied to get airline pilots armed with side arms and thy have spent between 1.5 to 2.7 million dollars on lobbying from 2001-2010 and during the campains they stronglyt support the republicans and usually strongly oppose democrats. i think it would be a great idea to give and train pilots with pistols or sidearms to protect themselves it would possibly save thousands of lives.
ReplyDeleteOne group that caught my interest was gas and oils. Since the turn of the millenium, gas prices have risen a substantial amount.Also I was surprised that 75% of $238.7 million have gone to Republican candidates since 1990.
ReplyDeleteLobbyists fight for their companies and support laws that support their companies, ideals, and projects. some issues that lobbyists fight for are issues like Energy,construction, transportation, and defense are topics over strong debate in Washington. After looking around i noticed that Exxon Mobil has a strong lobbying business working. Also, the most funded and lobbyist filled branch was gas and oil. Lastly, the government made sure the country had oil and did not care whether it was clean or not just so we had it. Exxon Mobil is one of the top spenders in lobbyists.
ReplyDeleteThe group that intereted me was the gun control. Every year more and more people died from gun violence. Both sides of lobbiests are trying to figure out a few laws to try to stop people having guns. The only people that have guns are cops. I think this is a good idea so the violence would stop faster
ReplyDeleteComcast spends millions of dollars every year on lobbyists so they can kill their opponents for the cable industry. They're dollars go to make sure that people can't buy individual channels from cable providers and they have to buy the whole service.
ReplyDeletethe tobacco industry, once a lobbying juggernaut, have sat around and watched there product turn into a cancer-causing problem and now becoming an increasingly toxic product also. In 2002 the makers of cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco, the numbers have drastically decreased in that year.
ReplyDeleteBoeing is a company that focuses on building helicopters. Boeing is the leading producer for the military. They are the top company among the industries that produce helicopters in the world. They spent over 17 million this year on lobbyist.
ReplyDeleteGE lobbies for better health care and cleaner more green products. $236,580,000 is the amount of money that they have gained since 1998. I think that this is a good thing to lobby for and a reputable for lobbying unlike some of the other topics, such as Comcast that are just trying to turn cable television into a monopoly
ReplyDeleteboeing lobbyies for aerospace defense contracts with 18 million dollars.
ReplyDeleteIn 2009, Wal-mart had made $7,390,000 in the Annual Lobying, making Wal-mart the second largest corporation in America. There are some lobbying issues in the first quarter amendment in Wal-mart, which consist of…
ReplyDeleteS. 730, Affordable Footwear Act of 2009
H.R. 496, Trade Enforcement Act of 2009
China: Discussions related to expiration of textile quotas
Digital television: Discussions related to conversion
Making the amount to be $1,960,000
House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies that supports with Wal-mart is U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U.S. SENATE