-Who Are the Lobbyists in Your Nation -

[United Timelines Outpost Number 99999999]

It's illegal here.

Same. It's bribery reworded.

[Urmanian]

Lobbyism is legal; there are of course reasonable measures to combat corruption, most importantly full transparency of the government, but it is still legal. There is a wide enough range of lobbyists and lobby groups to be too wide to be listed here, as, as was said above, lobbying is by definition conducted by anyone who as much as calls up their local legislator and tries to persuade them on some topic. Interestingly enough, because we're so libertarian and the government is so non-invasive especially when it comes to business, there is little "big corporate" lobbying simply because the government can neither make any substantial regulations nor can it actively intervene in the market and ostensibly change the situation in the lobbyist's favor. One of the most substantial areas of lobbying is foreign relations; since organized LGBT, women's rights advocates and other civil rights activists have almost nothing to concern themselves with domestically as there is no legal nor social discrimination against their target groups, they turn to advocating government intervention in minority treatment abroad.

[Merriwhether]

Lobbyism is not a recognized form of politics in Merriwhether, as it is recognized as a weak effort by special interest groups to manipulate the government solely in their benefit, regardless of to what inconveniences it poses for everyone else. There's no need for them to prevent government corruption anyways, given the legislative establishment incorruptibility.

If people want their voices heard on a topic, they can hold a vote of repeal, an resubmit a version of the old bill in a form which they find best suits everyone's needs.

[Ainin]

There are some, but no one gives a crap about them.
Namely:
The National Gun Owners' Organization (ignored by most all politicians)
The Citizens for the Status Quo (ignored by most all politicians)
The Dear Conservatives, STFU Group (beloved and respected)
The Oil and Gas Producers Lobby (ignored by most all politicians)
The Down with Labour Unions Association (ignored by most all politicians)
The Car Industry Lobby (ignored by most all politicians)
The Copyright Protection Group (ignored by most all politicians)

[Urmanian]

The Dear Conservatives, STFU Group (beloved and respected)

We'd like to somehow welcome this particular group in our nation and provide ample support for it.

[Meinkraft]

-Gun Owners Association (MGOA) Mild Influence
-Universal Petroleum Strong Influence
-Organization for the People (O4TP) Strong Influence

[TurtleShroom]

The primary lobbyist in TurtleShroom is the Christian Church. Across all denominations, the Church is the strongest force in politics, though TurtleShroom doesn't maintain a state faith. (Rather, the "national religion" receives direct government subsidies in the form of the Religion and Spirituality Budget.)


Following the Church- but not in any order -these groups are the most powerful:

• Mighty B Oil, Inc. (a domestic company that is a monopoly over the nation's oil suppy and production, sometimes called "Big Oil")
• Cotton Farmers' Bureau (once called "Big Cotton", "King Cotton", or "Big Agriculture")
• The nation's police forces
• The nation's military
• South Land Trading Company, LLC (a foreign entity from the Aashinian Commissariat in Comrade Commissar, called "Big Shots" or "Big Snots")
• Yue Shrine, Inc. (a foreign entity with a domestic counterpart that works hand-in-hand)
• The Marxist Society of Friends (consisting of one million completely ignored bona fide Communists that follow the Quaker denomination of Christianity)
• The "beef lobby" (jokingly called "Big Bull", consists of Beef-Based Agriculture)
• Mining companies and firms
• The Tennessee E. Ford Institute (a large think tank advocating the furtherance of the truck system)
• Defense contractors
• Weapons manufacturers
• Expats and the government-in-exile from the nation of Haiz
• Expats and refugees from the nation of Krechinheim
• Expats, refugees, and the government-in-exile from the Tsao Commissariat in Comrade Commissar
• Sugar farmers, plantations, and companies, coupled with candy companies
• Coffee farmers, plantations, and companies
• Farmers in general (called "Little Agriculture")
• The prison system
• Executioners, cemetaries, morticians, undertakers, funeral homes, and other death-related industries (disturbingly christened "Big Death")
• Elderly people and senior citizen advocates ("Big Old", constantly refusing change and digitization, Luddites)
• Luddites and haters of digitization and electronic advancement (also called "Big Weight", as in "dead weight")
• Gun rights lobby
• Education reform lobbies
• Anti-gay lobbies
• Pro-life lobbies
• More Luddites
• The twenty percent of the oil in TurtleShroom NOT controlled by Mighty B Oil ("Little Oil")

The general rule of thumb given to new civil servants is to know the "Six Bigs":

• Big Agriculture
• Big Bull
• Big Cotton
• Big Oil
• Big Old (or Big Weight)
• Big Snots

Then, they finish with a nod to the Lord.

• -but above all else, the Big Boss, AKA the Church.

The Church and the Six Bigs are the key players in TurtleShroom.

[Zonolia]

It's illegal on the basis of being undemocratic, corruptive, and impedes the democratic process of everyone...

[Korena]

The primary lobbyist in TurtleShroom is the Christian Church. Across all denominations, the Church is the strongest force in politics, though TurtleShroom doesn't maintain a state faith. (Rather, the "national religion" receives direct government subsidies in the form of the Religion and Spirituality Budget.)


Following the Church- but not in any order -these groups are the most powerful:

• Mighty B Oil, Inc. (a domestic company that is a monopoly over the nation's oil suppy and production, sometimes called "Big Oil")
• Cotton Farmers' Bureau (once called "Big Cotton" or "Big Agriculture")
• The nation's police forces
• The nation's military
• South Land Trading Company, LLC (a foreign entity from the Aashinian Commissariat in Comrade Commissar, called "Big Shots" or "Big Snots")
• Yue Shrine, Inc. (a foreign entity with a domestic counterpart that works hand-in-hand)
• The Marxist Society of Friends (consisting of one million completely ignored bona fide Communists that follow the Quaker denomination of Christianity)
• The "beef lobby" (jokingly called "Big Bull", consists of Beef-Based Agriculture)
• Mining companies and firms
• The Tennessee E. Ford Institute (a large think take advocating the furtherance of the truck system)
• Defense contractors
• Weapons manufacturers
• Expats and the government-in-exile from the nation of Haiz
• Expats and refugees from the nation of Krechinheim
• Expats, refugees, and the government-in-exile from the Tsao Commissariat in Comrade Commissar
• Sugar farmers, plantations, and companies, coupled with candy companies
• Coffee farmers, plantations, and companies
• Farmers in general (called "Little Agriculture")
• The prison system
• Executioners, cemetaries, morticians, undertakers, funeral homes, and other death-related industries (disturbingly christened "Big Death")
• Elderly people and senior citizen advocates ("Big Old", constantly refusing change and digitization, Luddites)
• Luddites and haters of digitization and electronic advancement (also called "Big Weight", as in "dead weight")
• Gun rights lobby
• Education reform lobbies
• Anti-gay lobbies
• Pro-life lobbies
• More Luddites
• The twenty percent of the oil in TurtleShroom NOT controlled by Mighty B Oil ("Little Oil")

The general rule of thumb given to new civil servants is to know the "Six Bigs":

• Big Agriculture
• Big Bull
• Big Cotton
• Big Oil
• Big Old (or Big Weight)
• Big Snots

Then, they finish with a nod to the Lord.

• -but above all else, the Big Boss, AKA the Church.

The Church and the Six Bigs are the key players in TurtleShroom.

That's pretty cool how that national church is your nation's biggest lobbyist.

[Herminia]

Lobbyists?! Ha! No such thing exists, same going for that pitiful excuse of a government system, democracy.

[Korena]

I doubt no such would exist in an iron fist communist.

[Aristoleia]

Lobbying is a very common and celebrated practice in Aristoleia; interest groups and policy councils cram for a chance to speak to legislative representatives (which is the main reason Aristoleia has so many, beyond our large population). Because the Aristoleian government is non-partisan, interest groups determine and fund ad hoc coalitions to get legislation passed and fund a good deal of political campaigns. For this reason, a plurality of minority and majority interests may easily be heard over a legislative schedule.

It would be almost impossible and would violate a number of ethics laws to mention any specific lobbies, but we can say they vary in range from union councils, farmers associations, urban renewal associations, business institutional interests, membership interests, public-interest lobbies, space code advocates, and nearly anything else imagination can bring to mind. There's even an anti-Human lobby, although it has very few members.

Naturally, the great degree of lobbying necessitates strong anti-corruption and ethics rules, which dictate the proper places, times and locations for lobbying. These laws have gotten more strict over time, and even the traditional 'lobbying' in the legislative lobbies and office hallways have been banned, and have been replaced with lobbying only in legislative cafeterias, outside committee rooms, legislative chamber entrance halls, and the grounds of the legislative houses, with appropriate security clearance. Such clearance is issued regardless of the lobby group's message, and is strictly determined along lines of potential threat, purpose, and reasonably foreseeable potential for harm or endangerment in accordance with freedom of speech and association rights.

Casual lobbying cannot involve bribery through any "outstanding and undue" medium of exchange, but may involve promises of legislative action. Lobbying organizations are also not considered tax-exempt non-profit organizations, unlike regular interest groups that stage protests, create petitions, and/or provide information to government officials which are tax-exempt. Involvement in lobbying activities that result in the payment of more than 5 employees of $30,000 or more, or involve lobbying more than 3 times a week with pay during 2 consecutive weeks of the legislative calendar, result in the group being placed in the class of 'political lobby organization'. Naturally, grassroots lobbies are not included within the range of such a class, typically including volunteers or low-paid staff that gather together for mostly ideological, solidary or purposive incentives of accomplishment rather than professional goals.

The extent of the plurality of interests tends to ensure that no strong affiliations build between government agencies and respective lobbying organizations; when it does occur, oversight naturally follows. There have been a few cases of corruption in the past, but overall, the Aristoleian government is prideful of its efficiency, political structure, protection of republican values, and general lack of corruption. In many cases, political orthodoxy is non-existant or tends to survive only few a few years of sessions.

[The Multiversal Species Alliance]

Lobbying is illegal, subject to confiscation of all wealth and/or property (if nobility) and exile from the nation.

[Maraque]

Lobbying is illegal in Tsvarchi as well.

[The Merchant Republics]

In what may come as a surprise to some I'm sure.

Lobbying is not legal in the Republics. It's glorified public bribery and we do not tolerate corruption. A business can of course, endorse a candidate, but they can't wine them, they can't dine them, and they certainly cannot finance their campaigns clandestinely.

If anything politicians lobby for the endorsements of the Society Guilds, it's never the other way around.

Frankly, the Celestial Confederation doesn't do enough to warrant actively trying to bribe anyways.

[Victorious Decepticons]

We wouldn't be very deceptive or conniving without institutionalized corruption, now would we?!

The big raid gangs are the biggest payers, with billions of Cubes in Energon per year spent on making sure that oil stays king. It would cost even more, but Leader Megatron privately owns Megatron Energon, which makes most of its signature product out of oil. It's in Megatron's best interest to keep the black gold flowing in enough quantity to remain cheap. Megatron also doesn't relish the idea of 8+ billion oil raiders having nothing to do other than stay home and blast each other.

Still, Megatron makes sure to keep oil's dominance just iffy enough to keep the bribes coming in. This is an irritation to those who would like alternatives like biofuel to have a bigger place in the economy, and those less-wealthy people are considering using gang warfare to alter this situation. The violent alternative, however, is risky because the big raid gangs are also wealthy enough to have full military weapons and armor.

Bribery is also common with lower government officials, but those officials have no policymaking power. Instead, they are most commonly bribed for various forms of information. Usually, bribes flow from raid gangs to intelligence officials, with the objective of getting info on rival groups or their activities.

Oh, and we don't call them lobbyists. Bribery is legal here, so the bribers are just that: bribers. The real connivery comes in when an official takes the money and then does whatever he was going to do anyway. Most would think that the bribes would stop coming after a few instances of that, but there's always someone out there with more money than sense.

[Korena]

We wouldn't be very deceptive or conniving without institutionalized corruption, now would we?!

The big raid gangs are the biggest payers, with billions of Cubes in Energon per year spent on making sure that oil stays king. It would cost even more, but Leader Megatron privately owns Megatron Energon, which makes most of its signature product out of oil. It's in Megatron's best interest to keep the black gold flowing in enough quantity to remain cheap. Megatron also doesn't relish the idea of 8+ billion oil raiders having nothing to do other than stay home and blast each other.

Still, Megatron makes sure to keep oil's dominance just iffy enough to keep the bribes coming in. This is an irritation to those who would like alternatives like biofuel to have a bigger place in the economy, and those less-wealthy people are considering using gang warfare to alter this situation. The violent alternative, however, is risky because the big raid gangs are also wealthy enough to have full military weapons and armor.

Bribery is also common with lower government officials, but those officials have no policymaking power. Instead, they are most commonly bribed for various forms of information. Usually, bribes flow from raid gangs to intelligence officials, with the objective of getting info on rival groups or their activities.

Oh, and we don't call them lobbyists. Bribery is legal here, so the bribers are just that: bribers. The real connivery comes in when an official takes the money and then does whatever he was going to do anyway. Most would think that the bribes would stop coming after a few instances of that, but there's always someone out there with more money than sense.

So in your nation its not lobbying, its just straight out bribery? That's interesting. I do suppose being deceptive requires a little bribey.

[Mystletainn]

Completely illegal for lobbying groups to even exist or even come in our nation.

[New Nassrau]

Oh, quite a few like,

-Support Democracy in Rustlandia
-Technological Development Committee
-Many corporations
-The National Defense Board

and such

[Radiatia]

Lobbying is still officially illegal in the Radiatian Federation, but in reality it's not hard for a special interest group to donate to a candidate or political party and expect favours in return and anti-lobbying laws are seldom, if ever, enforced.

[Estainia]

Bribing the nobles won't get you anything really, they'll just remember to overlook you the next time they "collect taxes"/steal everything you think you own that they're the real owners of.

[Comrade Commisar]

The Commonwealth of Asahina, with its aristocratic govern by the immensively powerful House of Lords is strictly against lobbying, deeming it a 'corruption of civilized principles' and a 'decendence into barbarianism'. That being said, whilst there are no political factions or special interests interferring with the decisions of the House of Lords, it should be noted that this does not particularly apply to the nobles within the Aristocracy who also just happen to found that of businesses, religious institutions, and other interests that, while legally seen as acceptable, is also an example of Aristocratic Hypocrisy and the corruption that they attempt to fight against whilst ignoring at the same time.

That being said, these so called influences are often classified as persons, of which their interests and that of their caliber shall be presented within no particular order;

• Lord Reginald Hildebrand Whyte, the head of the House of Lords who wishes to expand upon the prosperity of the Commonwealth, and is an advocate of Trading Company Imperialism under the guises of civilization, the mixing of Church and State, the establishment of a Monarch, efforts to continue the prosperity of the House of Lords, and other efforts to embetter the Commonwealth in general.
• Minister Thomas Haytham Kilthorne, the head of the Anglican Church and also leading representative for the many colonies abroad. Minister Kilthorne represents that of the Anglican Church, and often attempts to secure funding for the Church's efforts to no avail. However, as the representative body of the Commonwealth colonies in the House of Lords, Kilthorne has successfully secured many victories for the peoples of the colonies within the House of Lords, leading him to be known as a 'true, respectable person of the people'.
• Lord William Pennington, the head of the Commonwealth South Tea Company and representative of the various trading companies of the Commonwealth. Quite obviously an advocate of said trading companies, Pennington is a supporter of Commonwealth Imperialism and the redefinition of the powers endowed upon business and the scope of their actions. Pennington has received aid upon many counts in the House of Lords, and with the importance of the trading company within Commonwealth culture, has continued to receive their support within Company Imperialism of other lands.
• Lord Admiral Harold Braddock, the oldest and most experienced Admiral of the Commonwealth Navy, an advocate for the restrictions upon companies and privatized militaries, the continued funding to sponsor trade, the Commonwealth Navy, and the destruction of piracy upon the high seas. Braddock has gained incredible support in the House of Lords following the 'Great Purgings of Privateers', and has continued to support his beliefs of a powerful navy and sea trade with his influence in the Aristocracy.
• Lady Admiral Eleanor Brunswick, one of the most famous Admirals, Explorers, Navigators, and often used as the personification of the Commonwealth, Brunswick could easily rally the entire Commonwealth with her influence. An advocate of increased opportunies for young women, funding for exploration and navigation schools, and support for naval explorations abroad, Brunswick has always unanimously received support from the entirety of the Aristocracy in her endeavors.
• Lord Admiral Charles Winters, an Admiral known for his horrifyingly stunning victory against the Tsao, Winters is known for his support for artillery regiments and the increased empathsis on arctic warfare. Winters is an advocate for a stronger military.
• Lady Admiral Amelia Winters, an Admiral known for her modernization of her own fleet and the capture of the Tsao capital, she is an advocate for the increased opportunies of women, modernization of the Commonwealth Navy, and establishment of navigation schools.
• Lady Norah of the House of Scarlet, a wealthy aristocratic woman of small figure, who also just happens to be one of the most influential persons of the Commonwealth. She advocates the reduced funding of the Anglican Church, increased monitoring and military presense of the 'South Lands', Commonwealth Imperialism, and alliances with other nations within the region.
• Lady Mary of the House of Scarlet, the Queen of the Commonwealth, daughter of founder Hershel von Eagles, and precious figure within the Commonwealth. Barely reaching that of the age of majority, Mary has advocated for the reduced funding of the Anglican Church and address of the issue of the 'South Lands'. Although of little actual influence within the House of Lords, support for her endeavors remain at a high, and the Aristocracy normally bends towards her whims.
• Lady Red of the House of Eagles, the wife of Commonwealth founder Hershel von Eagles and influential person within the House of Lords, Red often advocates the support of foreign countries such as Turtleshroom, the establishment and protection of civil rights for women, the establishment of protection of civil rights for multiple species, the establishment and protection of civil rights for LGBT groups, the reduced funding of the Anglican Church, the increased funding of education, the address of Commonwealth Imperial, and many more controversial issues. Oftentimes, her proposals are seen as overly rediculous and reaching of scope, and without approval by other members of the Aristocracy, her propositions rarely come to pass.
• Lady Alexandria Primrose, the High Priestess of the Imperial Shrine of Asahina, she is an advocate for the reduced funding of the Anglican Church, the increased support of the Imperial Shrine, increased opportunies for women, increased and protected civil rights of all groups, and the increased relations between the Yue Empire and Commonwealth of Asahina.

Whilst this may not be that of all the influencing forces nor individuals within the decisions of the various Aristocrats of the House of Lords, it does offer sufficient image to state that the House of Lords is not as neutral in thought as they may seem.

[Free Tristania]

Its illegal in your nation..?

It's basically a glorified form of bribery.

Agreed. It's illegal here.

[Libertarian California]

The only forms of lobbying allowed are:

-Writing a letter to your Congressman/Congresswoman.
-Writing a petition and submitting it to your municipal/county/federal government representatives

These acts must be done by individuals. Organizations (like corporations, unions, and ethnic/national/racial/religious groups) are not allowed to lobby. This applies to all corporations, unions, and ethnic/national/racial/religious groups.

Also, lobbying in the Republic is impractical because the government is extremely restricted in what it can constitutionally do, so even if you do illicitly lobby and manage not to get caught, then there is a high chance whatever you're lobbying for is unconstitutional already.

[Luveria]

Lobbying is illegal, subject to confiscation of all wealth and/or property (if nobility) and exile from the nation.

This but with execution instead of exile, and applies to everyone found guilty of lobbying.