Lobbying Power!

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This lesson is most appropriate for High School classrooms.

Theme: What do lobbyists in Michigan do

MCF Benchmark: Use the ideas in the Declaration of Independence to evaluate the conduct of citizens, political behavior, and the practices of government.

Other benchmarks this lesson targets include: none

Materials needed:

Internet access and/or a copy of "Michigan Public Policy Handbook: A Lobbying Guide for 501(c)(3) Nonprofits" (see web sites).

Methodological procedure:

Lobbying in Action through Individual Power:

  1. Give the students a definition of lobbying: "influencing legislation and/or administrative actions." Students will be reading more about what is involved in lobbying, so a working definition is all they would need right now.
  2. The teacher will then generate a list of people/professions such as, Nurses, Teachers, Actors, etc. and ask students to choose which ones might lobby. The answer is all of them, and the students should recognize this.
  3. Create a scenario that would apply to the students' current lives (see example in notes). Have students pick out who the lobbyist is in the scenario to check for understanding of the term. Also ask them to write down their ideas of WHY the lobbyist was successful. Have some students share their ideas.
  4. Students will read the information provided in the Michigan Public Policy Initiative website (see printable attachment below) and complete a keyword graphic organizer (see notes).
  5. In small groups of three or four, students will read the Declaration of Independence (see website link) in order to glean the main ideas in it. They will then relate the ideas to the concepts of lobbying, creating their own way to represent their conclusions. Quick group presentations would be appropriate here, to share all of the ideas and check for understanding.
  6. The teacher will then find two or three current bills from the Michigan House and/or Senate that students would find interesting (see Michigan legislation website resource, as well as notes below for ideas). Present these with full explanation, in order for students to choose one that they would like to lobby for or against.
  7. Students will read the section, "Citizen Participation" from "A Student's Guide to State Legislation"(see websites) and decide how they will communicate with their legislator regarding their chosen legislation. Students are to ask for a response.

Assessment: Students should write a letter to their legislator regarding the bill they chose. Their letter should follow the format indicated on the "Citizen Participation" website and show an understanding of what lobbying is.

Lobbying in Action through Group Power:

[See Special Interest Groups Of Michigan Simulation, by Ryan DeKuiper, for additional information regarding special interest groups.]

  1. In small groups, students should brainstorm issues about which they are concerned (issues should be ones the students would assume they could lobby for or against). In a large group setting, issues should be listed by all the groups, in order to have a substantial pool of ideas. Students will choose an issue about which they are passionate, in order to research a lobbying group WITHIN THE STATE that champions their cause.
  2. Students will do on- line research to find their appropriate group, and to discover the composition of the group as well as how they lobby. If Internet access is not available, the teacher can present information about various groups they think may be of interest to the students. They should also look at what each group has done in the past (i.e. what issues they have lobbied for, their successes and failures)
  3. Each group should present to the class information about their issue and lobbying group. Presentations should include the groups' strengths and weaknesses, past lobbying efforts and current initiatives.
  4. Students will then communicate with their chosen lobbyist group however they choose about group membership, or what they can personally do to help. They are to ask for a response.

Author's notes:

Example scenario:

"A student, Beckie, is having trouble with her class schedule. In order for Beckie to arrive to work on time, she needs to be on a schedule that allows her to take earlier classes. She has met with her counselor to see if she could get this changed and has also met with her employer. Neither party would budge. Beckie went to her parents to see if they had any ideas about how to help her solve her problem. They discussed how her employer cannot change the work situation for Beckie, as it would disrupt the rest of the company. School looked to be the best chance at solving her dilemma. Her mother offered to go into the school and talk to the counselor on Beckie's behalf. After the meeting, Beckie and her mother left with a feeling of success, because Beckie was now going to have the schedule she needed." Who is the lobbyist in this scenario?

Michigan legislature 2001-2002 bills and topics:

  • HB4664-- child custody
  • SB0015--10 commandments posted in schools
  • HB4014 --school weapons law
  • HB4179 --school attendance laws
  • HB4293-- sports seasons for men and women overlapping
  • HB4455-- snow day make-ups

Assessment strategies:

In a written essay, have students demonstrate how lobbyist groups fulfill the ideas of the Declaration of Independence. They should also discuss in their essays why lobbyists are successful, and whether individual versus group lobbying is more successful. Students are encouraged to use their knowledge of a specific group in their comparison.

Enrichment suggestions:

Have students become involved in the Michigan Youth Caucus. The purpose of MYC is to be a voice for young people- basically an umbrella lobbyist group. Have them go on- line and see what sorts of issues are being addressed and encourage them to participate in the on- line discussions.

Available downloads:

  • Lobbying is..., (6 K)
    Graphic organizer charting out the different types of lobbying, what lobbying is and what it is not.
  • Movie (part 1), (6 K)
    This is the first in a three part series of short movies to supplement this lesson. It can be viewed using RealMedia Player.
  • Movie (part 2), (6 K)
    This is the second in a three part series of short movies to supplement this lesson. It can be viewed using RealMedia Player.
  • Movie (part 3), (6 K)
    This is the third in a three part series of short movies to supplement this lesson. It can be viewed using RealMedia Player.

Suggested web sites: