Full Description
This book presents an all-encompassing way to understand lobbying: the 'Diversion Guide'.
This shows that lobbying is problematic when institutions are diverted from acting in the public interest. It reveals why diversions happen, how they are linked together, and what can be done to prevent them. The reader can use the 'Diversion Guide' to identify any problem about lobbying, and test when an officeholder has been diverted from acting in the public interest.
The book examines how lobbying can encourage citizen participation and lead to informed law and policy, but is not always fair. It considers the way in which wealthy and influential people can gain greater access to the United Kingdom's political system than most to shape the laws that govern everyone. Scandals are often reported in the media surrounding unequal access, corruption, the revolving door, and more. Unchecked, such lobbying corrodes trust in public institutions.
It is vital that the problems surrounding lobbying are clearly understood to avoid a system of weak regulations and to ensure that better regulations are created to restore public trust in politics. The 'Diversion Guide' can be used to this end.
Contents
Part 1: The Nature of the Problem
1. What Is Institutional Diversion?
Part 2: The Diversion Guide
2. The Public Interest and Lobbying
3. Diversions Caused by Individual Malfeasance
4. Diversions Caused by Institutional Misfeasance
5. Diversions Caused by Political Inequalities
Part 3: Applying the Diversion Guide
6. Diversions in Government and Parliament
Part 4: Restoring Public Trust in Politics
7. Solutions That Don't Work
8. The 'Anti-Diversion' Model of Regulation
9. Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
