Lobbying and Democracy: The Effect of Organized External Influences on Democratic Legitimacy

An elected representative has the obligation to make decisions based on how this affects the population. There are various organized groups which seek to actively influence politicians in the decision-making process. This raises the question how a representative should deal with these organized groups, which we normally call lobbyists. In this thesis I will look at lobbying from a philosophical perspective. I will answer the question how lobbying influences democracy and how it affects democratic legitimacy. This will be done based on three accusations, that lobbying can create imbalances in decision-making, that lobbying can lead to a lack of transparency, and the accusation that lobbyists use immoral practices. I will first discuss different types of democracy and what the important features and requirements of a democracy are, and what exactly we mean by lobbying. Following this I will discuss the second accusation as well as the positive aspects lobbying can have on democracy....Show moreAn elected representative has the obligation to make decisions based on how this affects the population. There are various organized groups which seek to actively influence politicians in the decision-making process. This raises the question how a representative should deal with these organized groups, which we normally call lobbyists. In this thesis I will look at lobbying from a philosophical perspective. I will answer the question how lobbying influences democracy and how it affects democratic legitimacy. This will be done based on three accusations, that lobbying can create imbalances in decision-making, that lobbying can lead to a lack of transparency, and the accusation that lobbyists use immoral practices. I will first discuss different types of democracy and what the important features and requirements of a democracy are, and what exactly we mean by lobbying. Following this I will discuss the second accusation as well as the positive aspects lobbying can have on democracy. Positive aspects include the fact that lobbying allows for an exchange of information between politicians and external parties, that lobbying can lead to better representation by politicians because citizens can contact government officials directly, and the fact that lobbying can lead to increased publicity. Following this I will discuss possible solutions to the problems of lobbying. The first solution we will discuss states that publicity in the government is a strong way to counter many of the problems of lobbying. The second way to solve the problems of lobbying is by turning towards a more deliberative mode of democracy.Show less

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Lobbying and Democracy: The Effect of Organized External Influences on Democratic Legitimacy