Good Essay On Differences Between Advocacy And Lobbying

The use of the words lobbying and advocacy ire commonly interchanged although their actual definition is varied. The term lobbying is usually used in legislative field to refer to a particular activity carried out by lobbyists with the aim of causing a legislative or political action (TASCO). There are different methods applied in lobbying which include legal representation, legislative debates and direct or indirect communication with various legislative bodies.
Advocacy on the other hand, involves carrying out a variety of activities with the aim of getting public support about an issue or changing the existing public opinion. According to Resnick and Siegel (2013), advocacy involves narrations of experiences or opinions as well as written documents such as articles and newspapers, with the aim of convincing an interest group regarding a particular issue. Advocacy may also involve public rallies and campaigns and public education with the aim of influencing the government, organizations and political leaders to act upon a certain decision. For a person to be a lobbyist, they must have adequate knowledge on various legal processes and the interest group they wish to lobby for.
Lobbying is divided into two categories: direct and grassroots lobbying. Direct lobbying which involves a direct communication with any representative of the legislative body or a government concerning a particular issue that requires legislative amendment. Grassroots lobbying on the other hand involves influencing the public to lobby their concerns to a legislative member. This is achieved by educating them about a particular article of legislation and directing them on how to contact a policy maker using the correct legal process (Pekkanen et al, 2014). In simple terms, advocacy and lobbying are somehow interrelated only that while advocacy aims at educating the general public about a particular issue, lobbying aims as influencing policy makers mainly the government and legislature in the federal, state, or local level to amend or put more concern on a specific legislative issue.

References

Pekkanen, R. Et al (2014). Nonprofits and Advocacy: Engaging Community and Government in an Era of Retrenchment. NY: JHU Press.
Resnick, E. & Siegel, M. (2013). Marketing Public Health: Strategies to Promote Social Change. Boston: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Technical Assistance for Civil Society Organizations. “Lobbying and Advocacy”. Retrieved from http://www.tacso.org/knowhow/advocacy-lobbing/default.aspx?id=27&template_id=73&langTag=en-US&pageIndex=1.