The Art of Lobbying

Often derided by politicians and pundits, lobbyists are the targets of lampooning stump portrayals and sensationalized news coverage. Little attention is given to how most lobbyists do their job or become effective at what they do. Whether they are helping congressional staffers draft legislative language, providing members of Congress with quality policy and political information, or just being good listeners, lobbyists must build and maintain relationships. If they do, they will succeed in advancing their policy objectives within the give-and-take of the American legislative system.

Bertram J. Levine is the Charles Evans Hughes Fellow in Political Science Emeritus at Colgate University and a member of the Rutgers University political science department. Prior to pursuing his PhD, he was vice president of federal government relations and state government relations for Johnson Johnson. In that capacity, he headed the company's lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C. During the 92nd and 93rd Congresses he served as a counsel to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Levine is the coauthor of Lobbying Congress: How the System Works, Second Edition. He has also written a number of articles on interest groups and lobbying.