Customer Reviews

Lobbying and Advocacy: Winning Strategies, Resources, Recommendations, Ethics and Ongoing Compliance for Lobbyists and Washington Advocates: The Best of Everything Lobbying and Washington Advocacy

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Lobbying and Advocacy by Deanna Gelak is a comprehensive resource to help American citizens understand and exercise their Constitutional right to lobby their legislators. Gelak's book contains all of the essentials for successful lobbying, including a step-by-step process of lobbying, chapter summaries, lobbying tips and facts, charts and graphs, and recommended resources. The book contains strategies for lobbying Congress, the executive branch, and state officials and can be a useful media guide for working with the press.

In the first chapter, "The True Nature of Lobbying," Gelak not only provides general information about the history, basis, and significance for lobbying, she also debunks the ascribed origin of the term "to lobby" coined at the Willard Hotel.

The book's major sections deal with crafting the issue and strategies for making it effective. Also, there is a helpful guidance for providing testimony, forming coalitions, and avoiding problems with ethics laws. Gelak's "30 Laws of Lobbying" promotes integrity in public service and puts lobbying in perspective for advocates at all levels.

Given that Lobbying and Advocacy explains effective ways to contact policymakers and addresses ethical advocacy, it will benefit both the legislative novice as well as the experienced lobbyist in managing and advancing advocacy issues. I would highly recommend the book for anyone actively involved in legislative campaigns or interested in issue advocacy. Gelak's book makes lobbying interesting, and her non-technical style makes for easy reading.

I wrote a cover recommendation for this book, and bought an extra copy for work.

As a public interest lobbyist who is interested in empowering participation from all citizens, I can't recommend this book enough. As lobbying has become a specialized career, undertaken by teams of highly paid lawyers, accessible explanations and primary source materials are an absolute necessity for citizen advocates. While we can't all have teams of experts drafting our emails or testimony, they can still be formed with an understanding of how influence works in DC. That's what this book provides.

-John Wonderlich
Policy Director
The Sunlight Foundation

What a gold mine. This is a very PRACTICAL, powerful and comprehensive tool for equipping citizens to engage politically. If you're trying to advance a cause through advocacy, media relations, grassroots organizing, or coalition building, you will find yourself turning to this book week after week as you rely on the concisely presented webpages, templates, best practices, and "recommended resources" found throughout the book. The extensive, yet practical chart on lobbying ethics laws (Sec. 2.3) is easy to use and will help advocates avoid ethical landmines.

I especially enjoyed the discussions of the "ethics imperative" and "the law of lost perspective." This book should be read beyond Washington, DC. The Thirty Laws of Lobbying provides a lot of insight, obviously developed with a lot of seasoned experience (and a great sense of humor), and will help me to keep it all in perspective!

I like everything about this book. As someone who has been involved in the California state legislative process for 36 years and who has taught more than 1000 people how to lobby through my seminars, I am constantly searching for outstanding source materials. This book is the best I have ever read on the subject. It covers all the important aspects of lobbying and advocacy in a complete and thoroughly understandable way. I recommend it without reservation.

Lobbying and Advocacy is a solid, in-depth manual highly recommended for anyone seeking to lobby governmental officials or advocate public policy. Packed cover to cover with tips, checklists, and examples, Lobbying and Advocacy is intended to be a thorough reference and resource for lobbyists of all skill and experience levels. Major topics covered include "Legal and Ethical Considerations", "Develop, Never Devalue, Grassroots", "Multiply Your Influence: Coalitions and Partners" and much more. A wealth of appendices and an index round out this absolute "must-have" for any professional in the field. "Members of Congress and staff may never solicit a gift, or accept a gift that is linked to any action they have taken or are being asked to take. Members of Congress, their staff, and congressional officers are generally not permitted to accept gifts or meals from lobbyists, foreign agents, or their employing organizations, with certain exceptions... Do not offer any gifts or meals, plan congressional events, negotiate employment or arrange trips with policymakers unless you are absolutely certain that no rules are being violated."

I would give the book 3.5 stars but that is not an option. The book is good for a starting out point. It is very clear and points out deadlines and where to go for reports and more information. However, it is a little dry reading and some of the side story pages are pointless.