ABSTRACT
In January 2010, the Minneapolis City Pages published a list of the ten most influential lobbyists in Minnesota based on interviews with lawmakers, legislative staffers, and state officials. 1 Joint Religious Legislative Coalition (JRLC) lobbyist Brian Rusche did not make the list. Of the ten lobbyists identified as being especially influential, only one represented a nongovernmental citizen group. None of the lobbyists represented a religious group. As I discuss in the first chapter of this book, many Americans are suspicious of the power of interest groups, believing that unelected and unrepresentative interest group leaders have too much power over the political process. Much of the negativity surrounding interest groups stems from concern over who is represented best in the political system and whether certain groups are unfairly shut out of the decision-making process. Conversely, there are some who believe that it is best to exclude certain voices from the process altogether. In a 2004 ABC News/Washington Post survey, 63 percent of respondents said that religious leaders should not try to influence politicians. 2 This finding confirmed a 1988 survey showing that 57 percent of respondents preferred to see organized religious groups stay out of politics. 3
