President Bush should sign the lobbying bill that was passed by the senate. The aim of this bill is to improve the ethics and policies that govern the relationship between lawmakers and lobbyists. This bill has been introduced at a time when lawmakers have been involved in scandals especially with regards to corruption. These scandals have made the congress to develop a bad reputation. In present day America, lobbyists influence the lawmakers to pass laws and legislations that would favor their personal interests.
This goes against the social contract theory that forms the basis of democracy in the United States of America. Therefore, with regards to the article, ‘Congress Backs Tighter Rules on Lobbying,’ I believe that it is ethically and morally correct for the president to pass the bill into law to ensure that the freedom and rights of all Americans are respected.
Lobbying has been a part of the political culture in the United States of America. It is a legal political activity that is recognized by the constitution of the United States. However, there are rules and regulations that need to be adhered to (Zeleny and Hulse 2). Furthermore, ethical and moral considerations need to be put in place. It is with regards to these concerns that the senate passed the lobbying bill to improve the relationship between lawmakers and lobbyists (Nadler and Schulman 1).
There are many loopholes in the rules and regulations that govern the process of lobbying. As a result, the entire process is under the discretion of private institutions and influential figures who need the lawmakers to vote for or develop policies that are in line with their personal interest in return for treats and rewards (Nadler and Schulman 5). Ethically, these actions create an environment that supports corruption, misrepresentation, injustice, and inequality.
In the process, the common American is not involved in the process of developing the laws and regulations that govern him/her. As a result, Americans have become skeptical of the entire lobbying process (Rawls 41). To improve the entire situation, the senate passed the bill that reduced the interaction between lawmakers and lobbyists. These stringent measures aimed at restoring the confidence that the people had in the congress and lobbying.
The legislative process is supposed to be transparent, free, and fair. The overall outcome of this process is supposed to improve the well-being of every individual within the legislative jurisdiction. Ideally, the legislative process in the United States should reflect the needs and views of the society. It has been the practice of the American people to influence government petitions. This ideology was included in the declaration of independence, the first amendment and the bill of rights.
According to the social contract theory, individuals within a given society give some of their rights and freedoms to the state for the collective protection of their rights (Friend 1). Therefore, it is only fair for these individuals to be involved, either directly or indirectly in the process that leads to the development of rules and policies that govern them. Ideally, lobbying was introduced to fight for the rights and views of the majority.
However, lobbying is now controlled by private corporations and influential figures who dictate the voting process of lawmakers. In the end, the rules and policies that are implemented do not conform to the needs of the public but to the ideologies of a few influential figures. This brings about inequality, injustice, and most importantly, it goes against the democratic ideologies of lobbying. Therefore, the current bill that has been passed by the senate aims at restoring the original purpose of lobbying in the politics of the United States.
Lobbying has always been a controversial issue. To some extent, the views of the common American are always considered in the legislative process. In some other cases however, it is the interest of those who have money and power that are considered. This is immoral and unethical. Therefore, the current bill shall check the contact and influence that lobbyists have on lawmakers, especially on the congress. It has been a common practice for lobbyists to give lawmakers favors.
These favors make the lawmakers to be biased and vote for a course that does not advocate for the well-being of the society. Therefore, minimal contact between the lobbyists and the congress is just the beginning of a quest that will aim at ensuring the legislative and lobbying activities in the United States of America are fair, transparent and its interests are of common good for all.
Lobbying is an essential political activity that fights for the rights of the people by presenting their ideologies and views. However, the process should be regulated to ensure that its outcome is for a common good. To achieve this, the president needs to sign this bill into law to ensure that lobbyists do not use the power and influence that they have for their own good but for the benefit of the people of the United States.
Works Cited
Friend, Celeste. Social Contract Theory. 2004. Web.
Nadler, Judy and M. Schulman. Lobbying Ethics. 2006. Web.
Rawls, John.. Political Liberalism. Columbia University Press: New York, 2003. Print.
Zeleny, Jeff and C. Hulse. Congress Backs Tighter Rules on Lobbying. 2007. Web.