Regulating Lobbying: A Global Comparison

By Raj Chari, John Hogan and Gary Murphy
This book constitutes a thorough comparative examination of extant lobbying regulations around the world. It investigated the history of lobbying regulations, their origins and evolution, assessed the various laws currently in force, and examines attitudes towards lobbying regulations in both regulated, and unregulated, jurisdictions. While it took over a hundred years for four political systems to regulate lobbying, it took just eight more years for that number to more than double to nine countries. Still more countries are in the process of either considering, or actually introducing, lobbying regulations, including Chile, the Czech Republic, and Ireland. Thus, the regulation of lobbyists, an idea that spent almost 100 years developing exclusively within the United States, is gradually becoming an accepted notion across the democratic world. This book’s examination of current lobbying legislation suggests that it helps in fostering transparency, accountability and good governance in democratic societies.