Social Process of Lobbying

John Scott is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research interests include social network analysis of political and social phenomena as well as social policies related to aging populations.

"Why do government decision-makers listen to lobbyists, especially when they are held in such low esteem by the public? This is the question at the center of this new and provocative book by John C. Scott, a professor of political science and former lobbyist. In answering this question, Dr. Scott focuses on social norms and informal contacts between lobbyists and policymakers and between lobbyists themselves. Dr. Scott makes a compelling case that lobbying cannot be fully understood unless we more carefully consider the ways that lobbyists and policymakers interact outside formal political channels. While many academic treatments acknowledge that lobbying is an inherently social process, few studies tell us what this process actually looks like. Dr. Scott tells us not only what the lobbying process looks like, but also tells us why it looks the way it does." —Anthony J. Nownes, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA, CHOICE recommended"John Scott’s Social Process of Lobbying is valuable for the distinct sociological perspective it offers on how influence peddling takes place. Using creative and original data sources, the book uncovers the exchange processes at work in lobbying, and does so in a fashion that tells a big-picture story without sacrificing nuance. This is highly rewarding reading for political scientists, sociologists, and scholars of political communication, not to mention those with particular interests in retirement and Medicaid policy."—Edward Walker, UCLA.

• Introduction 1. Lobbying 2. Communities 3. Working Together 4. Setting the Lobbying Agenda 5. Reputations for Influence 6. Trust 7. Norms As The Institution of Lobbying 8. Lobbyists, Norms and Public Policy. Appendix. Reference. Index.