ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by examining the scope of interest group activity in Washington as it has developed in the many decades. It focuses on the tactics employed in lobbying members of Congress and their staffs, including the evolution of social media campaigns. In general, efforts to gain influence over congressional policy making can be fitted into three categories: direct lobbying, indirect lobbying, and grassroots lobbying. Organized interests of all sorts share the goal of influencing public policy. Direct lobbying relies on access to the members of Congress or, more commonly staff members in personal and committee offices. With both grassroots lobbying and direct lobbying, it is important to show members of Congress the impact of a particular piece of legislation on the people who "hired" them—the constituents back home. Grossmann contends that the representativeness of the groups that succeed depends on where the policy making is happening.
