In the United States, organized political lobbying does more harm than good.

I would just like to start off with a quote from the US court of Appeals..... "In support of the power of Congress it is argued that lobbying is within the regulatory power of Congress, that influence upon public opinion is indirect lobbying, since public opinion affects legislation; and that therefore attempts to influence public opinion are subject to regulation by the Congress. Lobbying, properly defined, is subject to control by Congress... But the term cannot be expanded by mere definition so as to include forbidden subjects. Neither semantics nor syllogisms can break down the barrier which protects the freedom of people to attempt to influence other people by books and other public writings... That is not an evil; it is a good, the healthy essence of the democratic process...." -U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (Rumely v. United States) Therefore we negate the resolution which states resolved: In the United States, organized political lobbying does more harm than good. I would like to provide the following definitions to ensure a clean and fair debate: United States: United States of America Organized: having a formal organization to coordinate and carry out activities Political: of or relating to government, a government, or the conduct of government Lobbying: to conduct activities aimed at influencing public officials and especially members of a legislative body on legislation **Democratic Process: the free and equal right of every person to participate in a system of government, often practiced by electing representatives of the people by the majority of the people Resolution Analysis: In order for the Pro to win this debate, we believe that they will have to prove that people having no public opinion is benefiting the US. They will also have to prove how the examples we are about to provide have actually hurt the US… With that in mind, lets look at examples of positive lobbying. 1. NAACP: The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has been lobbying for racial equality for more than 100 years, including within the political sphere. "The NAACP's Washington, D.C., bureau, led by lobbyist Clarence M. Mitchell Jr., helped advance not only integration of the armed forces in 1948 but also passage of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957, 1964, and 1968, as well as the Voting Rights Act of 1965." Unless my opponent plans to run a racism-good argument, he must concede that this was lobbying that brought more good than harm, which negates his resolution. 2. ACLU: In addition to it's legal aid in support of constitutional rights, the ACLU also concerned with influencing public officials directly, through lobbying campaigns designed to influence Congresspersons through communications from their constituents. Some of the good that came through this lobbying was, just in the state of Washington, "voting rights reform, extension of domestic partnerships, privacy for car travelers, and fair play in community sports." 3. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is a non-profit organization that seeks to stop drunk driving, support those affected by drunk driving, prevent underage drinking, and overall push for stricter alcohol policy. 4. ACORN's (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) priorities have included: better housing and wages for the poor, more community development investment from banks and governments, better public schools, and other social justice issues. ACORN pursues these goals through demonstration, negotiation, lobbying for legislation, and voter participation. 5. NJELThe New Jersey Environmental Lobby. We are an independent, non-partisan, nonprofit organization focused on the preservation and protection of a healthy environment for all our citizens. This is just one of many examples of saving our environment. So unless my opponent is going to take a stand against saving the environment, better schools, anti drunk driving, and voting rights… I don't see how the pro may win this debate because they are all within the legality of the law to do this… which leads me to my second point. Contention 2: Lobbyists rights Clearly and obviously it does not, given that the right to petition government, as an individual or as an organization, is protected by the first amendment to the Bill of Rights which states, "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Our political system is based on the idea that the people can and should try to influence our politicians to address the problems that exist. Thus political lobbying as defined cannot contribute to the breakdown of our political system. It IS our political system. In conclusion how has lobbying given us more harm then good when it has helped against racism, environmental issues, public schooling and even drunk driving.. Those are just some of the examples that i have provided and believe that the neg should win this round.