The Role of Lobbyists in the Defense Budget and Procurement Process.

Lobbyists have been with us since the founding of the United States Government, but there is room for debate as to whether or not their influence is positive or negative, particularly in regard to defense budget and procurement. The legal basis for lobbying is found in the U.S. Constitution and supported through legal precedence, but many aspects of the practice remain legally and ethically ambiguous. Questioned are practices such as the revolving door where national security experts pass between government and the defense industry taking inside knowledge and influence with them. Also the influence of Political Action Committees PACS and their ability to prevent the disclosure of political contributions casts doubts on the system. Questioned also is the Department of Defense practice of lobbying Congress even though such practice is restricted by law. But the overriding factor in all this is Congress attitude toward protection of home district interests or pork barreling which becomes too often the overriding consideration for too many national defense issues. But through this maze of distrust and vague legalities the lobbyist emerges on the positive side of the ledger, it is the government agencies that need to be more specific in defining the parameters of the lobbyist and in making their practices more public.