Lobbyists and legislators

de L. Harmon Zeigler, Michael A. Baer, Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research

Data for the study were collected in February and March 1966, from legislators and registered lobbyists in the states of Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, and Utah. The sample of 582 legislators explores the respondents' early interest in politics, their background of previously held government positions, and legislative leadership positions which they currently hold. This sample concentrates on the respondents' opinion of lobbyists and contact with them, their competence, means of communication with them, tasks which lobbyists have, and the extent to which lobbyists use pressure and persuasive activities. Legislators' aggregate data district descriptions are also included. The 644 respondents in the lobbyist sample were asked about their backgrounds in politics and in the organizations which they represent. The study ascertains the lobbyists' feelings about their profession and its role in the legislative process as well as specifics about the organization(s) by whom they are employed. In addition to details of their work as lobbyists--contacts with legislatures, techniques used to persuade, and time spent with opposition lobbyists--the study probes the respondents' opinions about the most powerful occupation groups and the reasons for their influential positions.