In simple terms, defense lobbying is when an individual or group — usually hired by a third party — seeks to influence another individual or group to achieve a desired outcome in the defense industry. While lobbying is legal, some practices may be deemed unethical or illegal by the federal government or a particular state.
In the defense industry, lobbying has helped shape national security policies and decisions and the nation’s ability to defend itself against external threats.
Here are five types of defense lobbying:
- Policy Advocacy Lobbying
The goal of policy advocacy lobbying is to shape defense-related policies and regulations both at the national and international levels. The lobbying achieves this by engaging with policymakers, military officials, and other relevant stakeholders to champion policies that strengthen defense capabilities, address strategic security challenges, and support the growth of the defense industry growth.
These lobbyists will also collaborate with decision-makers or lawmakers to draft legislation, influence defense budgets, and shape the direction of strategic defense priorities.
- Budget Allocation Lobbying
In this case, lobbyists influence planners to secure funding for particular defense projects, programs and initiatives that guarantee military readiness and upgraded equipment to meet any emerging threat. This is where a lobbyist would reach out to Congress and federal government agencies, pleading with them to give consideration to critical defense initiatives such as research and development in defense technologies.
- Procurement Lobbying
This is about influencing government contracts and procurement processes within the defense sector. The lobbyists work along the defense supply chain to advocate for the companies or products they represent to be chosen for military contracts. They achieve this usually through strategic partnerships. They also showcase technological advancements, or emphasize affordability and reliability of the products or companies in question.
- Export Control Lobbying
Here, lobbyists influence export regulations and trade policies on defense-related goods and technologies. They advocate for streamlined export processes that can easily be monitored. They also ensure the export processes are within compliance requirements and that the defense exports themselves serve the interests of their government. For instance, the US will ensure the US only exports critical weapons only to countries friendly to her.
- International Partnerships Lobbying
Defense lobbyists also go as far as promoting international relations and partnerships. They advocate for strategic defense alliances with other countries or international organizations. The results can be military aid programs for certain countries, joint exercises, or defense projects with these countries.
The aim is to collaborate with other like-minded countries to address shared security threats through coordinated defense strategies.
Parting Shot
For defense lobbying to work, the actors have to coordinate their activities around an issue until they achieve the desirable results. The impact depends on how they go about the lobbying process. It’s not always about holding meetings with decision-makers and submitting petitions; lobbyists also speak to the media, hold news conferences or help reporters with stories.
Where necessary, lobbyists also hold public campaigns such as demos or rallies to exert more pressure on the decision-makers.
