Lobbying in the Sunlight: A Scoping Review of Frameworks to Measure the Accessibility of Lobbying Disclosures

Document Type : Review Article

Authors

1 Centre for Health Policy, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

2 School of Public Health, University of Nevada Reno, Reno, NV, USA

3 School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Abstract

Background 
While anyone can lobby governments, most lobbying is driven by commercial interests. Due to limited government disclosures, it is often challenging to get a clear picture of who is lobbying whom or why. To help make lobbying more visible to the public, we set out to develop a framework of key criteria for best practice government lobbying disclosures.
 
Methods 
We undertook a systematic scoping review of peer-reviewed and grey literature to identify frameworks for measuring or evaluating lobbying transparency. We screened the titles and abstracts of 1727 peer-reviewed and 184 grey literature articles, assessing 230 articles for eligibility. Following screening, we included 15 frameworks from six peerreviewed and nine grey literature articles in our review. To create our framework of lobbying disclosures, we thematically coded the 15 included frameworks and used an iterative process to synthesise categories.
 
Results 
The 15 frameworks covered more than only lobbying disclosures, with the most common other theme about enforcement and compliance. Most frameworks were developed to evaluate lobbying transparency in particular jurisdictions, with the United States the most common. Of the 15 frameworks analysed, those developed by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) focused mainly on improving lobbying regulations, while most peer-reviewed studies developed frameworks to measure, compare and evaluate lobbying regulations. We developed a Framework fOr Comprehensive and Accessible Lobbying (FOCAL). It comprised eight primary categories (scope, timeliness, openness, descriptors, revolving door, relationships, financials, and contact log) covering 50 total indicators.
 
Conclusion 
Government transparency plays a crucial role in facilitating access to information about commercial political activities like lobbying. Our framework (FOCAL) offers a template for policy-makers to develop or strengthen regulations to improve lobbying transparency so commercial political influence strategies are more visible and subject to public scrutiny. This is an important step towards rebalancing influence toward the public interest.

Keywords

References

  1. Access Info Europe, Transparency International, Sunlight Foundation and Open Knowledge International. International Standards for Lobbying Regulation. 2022. https://lobbyingtransparency.net/. Accessed November 6, 2022.
  2. Lobbying in the 21st Century: Transparency, Integrity and Access. Paris: OECD Publishing; 2021. doi:10.1787/c6d8eff8-en
  3. Ulucanlar S, Lauber K, Fabbri A, et al. Corporate political activity: taxonomies and model of corporate influence on public policy. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2023;12:7292. doi:34172/ijhpm.2023.7292
  4. Russ KN, Baker P, Kang M, McCoy D. Corporate lobbying on US positions toward the World Health Organization: evidence of intensification and cross-industry coordination. Glob Health Gov. 2022;17(1):37.
  5. Mialon M, Gaitan Charry DA, Cediel G, Crosbie E, Scagliusi FB, Perez Tamayo EM. 'I had never seen so many lobbyists': food industry political practices during the development of a new nutrition front-of-pack labelling system in Colombia. Public Health Nutr. 2021;24(9):2737-2745. doi:1017/s1368980020002268
  6. Acton C, Hawkins B. Are UK alcohol industry political donations intended to influence public health policies?–Analysis of publicly available data on donations and lobbying. J Public Aff. 2022;22(S1):e2740. doi:1002/pa.2740
  7. Nyberg D. Corporations, politics, and democracy: corporate political activities as political corruption. Organ Theory. 2021;2(1):2631787720982618. doi:1177/2631787720982618
  8. Hird TR, Gallagher AWA, Evans-Reeves K, et al. Understanding the long-term policy influence strategies of the tobacco industry: two contemporary case studies. Tob Control. 2022;31(2):297-307. doi:1136/tobaccocontrol-2021-057030
  9. Hussain Z, van Schalkwyk MCI, Galea S, Petticrew M, Maani N. A qualitative framing analysis of how firearm manufacturers and related bodies communicate to the public on gun-related harms and solutions. Prev Med. 2023;166:107346. doi:1016/j.ypmed.2022.107346
  10. Open Government Partnership. Mission and Strategy. 2022. https://www.opengovpartnership.org/mission-and-strategy/. Accessed December 2,2022.
  11. International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. Corporate Political Responsibility: Mobilizing the Private Sector for Political Integrity. 2022. Available from: https://www.idea.int/sites/default/files/publications/corporate-political-responsibility.pdf. Accessed November 6, 2022.
  12. McCambridge J, Daube M, McKee M. Brussels declaration: a vehicle for the advancement of tobacco and alcohol industry interests at the science/policy interface? Tob Control. 2019;28(1):7-12. doi:1136/tobaccocontrol-2018-054264
  13. Gilmore AB, Fooks G, Drope J, Bialous SA, Jackson RR. Exposing and addressing tobacco industry conduct in low-income and middle-income countries. Lancet. 2015;385(9972):1029-1043. doi:1016/s0140-6736(15)60312-9
  14. Delobelle P. Big tobacco, alcohol, and food and NCDs in LMICs: an inconvenient truth and call to action: Comment on "Addressing NCDs: challenges from industry market promotion and interferences". Int J Health Policy Manag. 2019;8(12):727-731. doi:15171/ijhpm.2019.74
  15. McKay AM, Wozniak A. Opaque: an empirical evaluation of lobbying transparency in the UK. Interest Groups & Advocacy. 2020;9(1):102-118. doi:1057/s41309-019-00074-9
  16. LaPira TM, Thomas HF. The lobbying disclosure act at 25: challenges and opportunities for analysis. Interest Groups & Advocacy. 2020;9(3):257-271. doi:1057/s41309-020-00101-0
  17. Shanor A, McDonnell MH, Werner T. Corporate political power: the politics of reputation & traceability. Emory Law J. 2021;71(2):153-216.
  18. Global Data Barometer. First Edition Report – Global Data Barometer. 2022. https://globaldatabarometer.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/GDB-Report-English.pdf. Accessed August 20, 2023.
  19. Laboutková Š, Vymětal P. A black box assessment of institutional quality: the challenge of evaluating lobbying transparency. Policy Stud. 2023;44(3):336-355. doi:1080/01442872.2022.2053092
  20. Transparency International. Open Data to Fight Corruption. 2016. https://images.transparencycdn.org/images/2016_OpenData_EULobbying_EN.pdf. Accessed September 22, 2023.
  21. Chari R, Hogan J, Murphy G, Crepaz M. Regulating Lobbying: A Global Comparison. 2nd ed. Manchester University Press; 2020.
  22. Gaventa J, Barrett G. Mapping the outcomes of citizen engagement. World Dev. 2012;40(12):2399-2410. doi:1016/j.worlddev.2012.05.014
  23. Arksey H, O'Malley L. Scoping studies: towards a methodological framework. Int J Soc Res Methodol. 2005;8(1):19-32. doi:1080/1364557032000119616
  24. Godin K, Stapleton J, Kirkpatrick SI, Hanning RM, Leatherdale ST. Applying systematic review search methods to the grey literature: a case study examining guidelines for school-based breakfast programs in Canada. Syst Rev. 2015;4:138. doi:1186/s13643-015-0125-0
  25. Mialon M, Vandevijvere S, Carriedo-Lutzenkirchen A, et al. Mechanisms for addressing and managing the influence of corporations on public health policy, research and practice: a scoping review. BMJ Open. 2020;10(7):e034082. doi:1136/bmjopen-2019-034082
  26. Lacy-Nichols J, Quinn M, Cullerton K. Aiding empirical research on the commercial determinants of health: a scoping review of datasets and methods about lobbying. Health Res Policy Syst. 2023;21(1):56. doi:1186/s12961-023-01011-8
  27. Newmark AJ. Measuring state legislative lobbying regulation, 1990-2003. State Polit Policy Q. 2005;5(2):182-191. doi:1177/153244000500500205
  28. Newmark AJ. Lobbying regulation in the states revisited: what are we trying to measure, and how do we measure it? Interest Groups & Advocacy. 2017;6(3):215-230. doi:1057/s41309-017-0023-z
  29. Opheim C. Explaining the differences in state lobby regulation. West Polit Q. 1991;44(2):405-421. doi:1177/106591299104400209
  30. Bednářová P. The evaluation of the government draft lobbying act in the Czech Republic beyond the framework of RIA. Economics and Management. 2020;23(2):33-47. doi:15240/tul/001/2020-2-003
  31. Holman C, Luneburg W. Lobbying and transparency: a comparative analysis of regulatory reform. Interest Groups & Advocacy. 2012;1(1):75-104. doi:1057/iga.2012.4
  32. Center for Public Integrity. Hired Guns Methodology. 2007. https://publicintegrity.org/politics/state-politics/influence/hired-guns/methodology-5/. Accessed January 22, 2024.
  33. Roth A. Creating a Valid and Accessible Robustness Index. Regulating Lobbying. 2020. https://sites.google.com/view/regulating-lobbying/home/work-of-colleagues/creating-a-valid-and-accessible-robustness-index. Accessed June 21, 2023.
  34. Clemens J, Kaszton J, Rufer K, Sucheski L. State-Level Lobbying and Taxpayers: How Much Do We Really Know? Assessing State Lobbying Disclosure Laws and Accessibility. Pacific Research Institute; 2010. https://www.pacificresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/TPFL_NoApp.pdf. Accessed January 22, 2024.
  35. ALTER-EU. Recommendations for Transparency Register Review: Lobby Disclosure Requirements. 2013. https://www.alter-eu.org/sites/default/files/documents/recommendations%20disclosure%20requirements.pdf. Accessed January 22, 2024.
  36. Council of Europe. Legal Regulation of Lobbying Activities in the Context of Public Decision Making. 2017. https://rm.coe.int/legal-regulation-of-lobbying-activities/168073ed69. Accessed January 22, 2024.
  37. Vander Stichele M. A Structural Problem in the Shadows: Lobbying by Banks in the Netherlands. 2016. https://lobbywatch.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/somoA-structural-problem.pdf. Accessed January 22, 2024.
  38. Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission. Special Report on Corruption Risks Associated with Donations and Lobbying. 2022. https://www.ibac.vic.gov.au/publications-and-resources/article/corruption-risks-associated-with-donations-and-lobbying. Accessed January 22, 2024.
  39. Hodgson S, Witte D. Responsible Lobbying: An Evaluation Framework. 2020. https://www.responsible-lobbying.org/the-framework. Accessed January 22, 2024.
  40. Access Info Europe, Open Knowledge, Sunlight Foundation, Transparency International. International Standards for Lobbying Regulation: Towards Greater Transparency, Integrity and Participation. 2015. https://lobbyingtransparency.net/lobbyingtransparency.pdf. Accessed October 13, 2022.
  41. Goel S, Kar SS, Verma M, Sivanantham P, Naik BN, Gupta D. Evidence on article 5.3 of FCTC (tobacco industry interference in tobacco control activities) in India- a qualitative scoping study. BMC Public Health. 2021;21(1):1855. doi:1186/s12889-021-11773-x
  42. Fooks GJ, Gilmore AB, Smith KE, Collin J, Holden C, Lee K. Corporate social responsibility and access to policy élites: an analysis of tobacco industry documents. PLoS Med. 2011;8(8):e1001076. doi:1371/journal.pmed.1001076
  43. Chung H, Cullerton K, Lacy-Nichols J. Mapping the lobbying footprint of harmful industries: 23 years of data from OpenSecrets. Milbank Q. 2024;102(1):212-232. doi:1111/1468-0009.12686
  44. Lacy-Nichols J, Marten R, Crosbie E, Moodie R. The public health playbook: ideas for challenging the corporate playbook. Lancet Glob Health. 2022;10(7):e1067-e1072.
  45. Lacy-Nichols J, Cullerton KB. Baby steps in lobbying reform: opportunities and challenges in Queensland. Med J Aust. 2024;220(2):60-64. doi:5694/mja2.52187
  46. Lacy-Nichols J, Christie S, Cullerton K. Lobbying by omission: what is known and unknown about harmful industry lobbyists in Australia. Health Promot Int. 2023;38(5):daad134. doi:1093/heapro/daad134
  47. Brulle R, Downie C. Following the money: trade associations, political activity and climate change. Clim Change. 2022;175(3):11. doi:1007/s10584-022-03466-0
  48. Hird TR, Gallagher AW, Evans-Reeves K, et al. Understanding the long-term policy influence strategies of the tobacco industry: two contemporary case studies. Tob Control. 2022;31(2):297-307. doi:1136/tobaccocontrol-2021-057030
  49. Open Secrets. OpenSecrets.org. 2023. https://www.opensecrets.org/. Accessed March 23, 2023.
  50. Transparency International EU. EU Integrity Watch. 2023. https://www.integritywatch.eu/. Accessed March 23, 2023.
  51. Kim IS. LobbyView: Firm-Level Lobbying & Congressional Bills Database. 2018. http://web.mit.edu/insong/www/pdf/lobbyview.pdf. Accessed June 8, 2023.
  52. Preventing policy capture: integrity in public decision making. In: OECD Public Governance Reviews. Paris: OECD Publishing; 2017. doi:10.1787/9789264065239-en
  53. Hood C, Heald D. Transparency: The Key to Better Governance? Oxford University Press for The British Academy; 2006.
  54. Cucciniello M, Porumbescu GA, Grimmelikhuijsen S. 25 years of transparency research: evidence and future directions. Public Adm Rev. 2017;77(1):32-44. doi:1111/puar.12685

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 14 March 2024
  • Revise Date: 17 July 2024
  • Accept Date: 18 September 2024
  • First Publish Date: 22 September 2024

Share

How to cite

Statistics