Are lobbyists good or bad for the American political process? Find out in Vital Statistics on Interest Groups and Lobbying

Washington, DC - Lobbyists and interest groups are often cast as the villains in the U.S. political process. Although there is an occasional mention of the money spent to lobby and the number of lobbyists, most of the negative press is based on anecdotes and not on actual data. Now CQ Press has published the new Vital Statistics on Interest Groups and Lobbying, an alternative approach to understanding the importance of lobbying to the U.S. political process.

Covering the broad contours of lobbying through aggregated data, analysis, graphic depictions of activity and behavior, and summary statistics about lobbying, this resource is a broad, comprehensive, and informative view of lobbying, interest groups, and campaign contributions in American national politics. Beyond simply presenting compilations of data and statistics, Vital Statistics on Interest Groups and Lobbying takes a close look at the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 and then presents, in the following ten chapters, lobbying information in ways that will interest journalists, scholars, and others interested in money and its influence in politics:

1. Overview of Lobbying Trends
2. Types of Interest Groups in the Washington Lobbying Community
3. The Issues
4. The Geography of Lobbying
5. The Lobbyists
6. Lobbying Firms
7. Lobbying and Congressional Bills
8. The Agencies, the House, and the Senate
9. Organization Characteristics, the Agencies, the House, and the Senate
10. Campaign Contributions, Organizations, Lobbyists, and Recipients

Vital Statistics on Interest Groups and Lobbying, available in both electronic and print formats, is packed with helpful features such as tables, figures, appendices, and a thorough index. Because it helps readers understand the trends in lobbying through history as well as the connections among the different elements of lobbying activity, this latest volume in the CQ Press series on Vital Statistics in American Politics is a must-have for all libraries.

Editor Holly Brasher received her PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2000, has served as a visiting faculty member at Duke University and George Washington University, and is tenured faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She writes prolifically on political issues.

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CQ Press, an imprint of SAGE, is a leading publisher of books, reference content, periodicals, and digital products on American government, public policy, and international affairs. Known for its objectivity and breadth and depth of coverage, CQ Press consistently ranks among the top academic and professional publishers for its high-quality content and scholarship. CQ Press was founded with the mission of promoting democracy through education and joined the SAGE family in 2008. www.cqpress.com

Vital Statistics on Interest Groups and Lobbying
October 2014                          472 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-4522-1997-4         Hardcover Price: $175.00
eISBN: 978-1-4833-4620-5