Chapter 04 Discussion Forum – Legislators and Lobbyists: What’s the Proble

Submission Criteria:

Using the course text, additional resources, and questions below, you will engage in an online discussion with your professor and class peers.

Students are required to respond to the questions in at least 250 words by Saturday

Students are required to engage with at least 2 or more different class peers by Monday.

Each peer response should be at least 100 words.

Your word count should be placed at the bottom of your initial response and your peer responses.

A complete assignment submission included both the initial response and a minimum of 2 peer responses. Incomplete submissions may not be reviewed for credit consideration.

Submissions that are submitted after the deadlines posted or without the required parts may not be graded.

Do not include the questions with your response.

Instructions:

1- Before starting this Discussion Forum be sure to:

Read Chapter 05

Watch the Pearson video Legislators and Lobbyists: What’s the Problem When Legislators Become Lobbyists? which can be found at the bottom of this assignment.

Review the Chapter 05 PowerPoint presentation, which can be found under Modules.

2- This assignment will focus on your ability to analyze the text content and subsequent information provided. Your responses should rely on facts and real-world examples. While opinion is fine, your responses should rely on facts and real-world examples. It is your understanding of the factual content that I am looking for versus your opinion. There will be times when you will be asked for your opinion, but our collective goal is to have a better understanding of how our government works.

3- Submit your response by replying below. You must post your complete answer before you will gain access to the responses made by your peers. Respond to each question in a separate paragraph. Do not include the questions. Please see the Submission Criteria section above before responding.

In 2006, seventy former Texas legislators registered as lobbyists, the highest number among all states that year. Critics believe it is unethical and a conflict of interest for legislators to immediately shift to high-paying lobbyist positions after completing their terms. Legislators-turned-lobbyists argue that it’s not an unreasonable or unnatural transition and that they are putting their knowledge to good use.

Is lobbying inherently bad?

Are lobbyists, or political influencers, comparable to social media influencers, as the video suggests? Compare and contrast the two roles.

What factors might predict which members of the Texas Legislature become lobbyists after they leave office?

What reforms would you suggest to the Texas Ethics Commission for mitigating incentives that may push legislators who become lobbyists to behave unethically.

4- Respond to at least 2 of your class peers and respectfully engage in a discussion based on their responses. Where possible try to select peers without a response from anyone. The goal is to analyze responses and support or respectfully counter.