New York Times columnist Timothy Egan argues that the move towards data journalism is somehow opposed to creativity. I must object; data analysis and everything that goes into it can be highly creative.
Continue readingDoes money buy access in Washington? Science says: yes. Plus, a Q&A
If you read this blog, chances are you think money buys access in Washington — and possibly a lot more. But do you have proof? There is actually a remarkable dearth of hard empirical evidence that confirms your suspicions.
Continue readingHow Big Pharma (and others) began lobbying on the Trans-Pacific Partnership before you ever heard of it
From 2009 until mid-2013, drug companies and associations mentioned the Trans-Pacific Partnership in 251 separate lobbying reports – two and a half times more than the next most active industry.
Continue readingThe rise of the million-dollar lobbyist
Lobbying is a very lucrative business. But for some it’s more than very lucrative: It’s million-dollar lucrative.
Continue readingWhose former staffers make the most as lobbyists? Lott, Frist, Hoyer top the list
Analysis shows that working for a long-serving senator — especially one in a key leadership position — is a very good stepping stone to a lucrative career in lobbying.
Continue readingHow revolving door lobbyists are taking over K Street
Between 1998 and 2012, total lobbying revenue from active contract lobbyists almost doubled. The kicker? All of this new revenue came exclusively from revolving door lobbyists.
Continue readingK Street pays top dollar for revolving door talent
It is a widely accepted truism in Washington that the place to get rich is on “K Street” — that metonymic shorthand for the Washington lobbying business. But how rich?
Continue readingRevolvers’ Dollars: methodology and cautions
In our Revolvers' Dollars series, we built a dataset covering all active firm lobbyists from 1998—2012. Here, we describe the methodology behind our dataset, and offer some cautions on these data and methods.
Continue readingWhy Congress might be more productive – and less partisan – than you think
By now, most Americans think Congress is incredibly unproductive and remarkably polarized. But if we look at the hard data on our 2013 lawmakers, a slightly different story emerges.
Continue readingWhat a “Lobbyists’ Lament” doesn’t tell us about lobbying
Haley Barbour and Ed Rogers’ piece, “The Lobbyists’ Lament,” is an unintentionally remarkable example of how lobbying works. It’s lively, persuasive and factually correct. As is most lobbying. Problem is, it’s also one-sided. As is most lobbying.
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