Lobbying has remained a powerful way to drive positive change in the modern world. This is most obviously seen in the corporate world and involves firms lobbying to drive real-world action within their sectors. 

While this can be done on a local level, national lobbying efforts are also a key part of the picture. As the name suggests, this encompasses lobbying for change on a national scale and driving positive action that is felt across the whole country. 

How does national lobbying work? 

Although it’s possible for individual organizations to engage in national lobbying personally, most find it more effective to hire professional lobbying firms to do this. 

Ballard Partners was founded by Brian Ballard in 1998 and is the most successful current example of a lobbying company that works nationally. The firm’s ability to get results for its clients is best summed up by its discussions with the US Justice Department on behalf of American Express Global Business Travels. These efforts played a huge part in the Justice Department’s eventual decision to cancel its challenge to AMEX’s planned buyout of a competitor.  

What trickle-down effects does lobbying nationally have on national and state policies? 

Just as tech in business and life is having a powerful effect on how we live, national lobbying is driving positive transformations on a wider scale. Its most powerful impact is the trickle-down effect it has not just on policies federally but also on state policies. This sees efforts made to engage decision makers nationally seep down in various ways to achieve real change. 

The most obvious examples include:  

  • Changes to national and state policies – national lobbying engages a broad range of decision makers in positive discussions who then drive amendments to current policies. This can happen for both federal policy and state policy (where national lobbying can impact how states view a certain topic). 
  • Diffusion of policies – lobbying nationally can influence new federal legislation or model bills, which are then replicated at state level.  
  • Harmonization of regulations – lobbying in this way is able to drive federal preemption of state laws and enable a more consistent approach across individual states. Good examples of this include data privacy laws or environmental standards rules.  
  • Legal pathways for change – national lobbying groups are able to find judicial routes to challenge current laws. Successful litigation trickles down to national and then state level to set legal precedents.  

What unique challenges and opportunities does this bring for local communities?  

Lobbying in the US is a powerful tool and this is especially true when the impact of national lobbying trickles down to state level. For local communities, this kind of influence has certain challenges and opportunities. 

Perhaps the biggest challenge is the potential loss of local autonomy. If national lobbying drives policy change at federal level, which then trickles down to state level, local communities may feel sidelined. Another challenge for communities is having to quickly adapt to any national policy changes that trickle down to state level.  

But what about the opportunities that this type of activity has for communities locally?  

Access to resources is a key point and enables changes made at a federal policy level to bring extra resources to states (such as new grants). Local communities are also able to get involved with national lobbying campaigns to highlight their own related issues. If there’s a push nationally to lobby for a change to healthcare policy, for example, community groups that feel the current guidelines on healthcare need changing can tap into this. 

What unique challenges and opportunities does this bring for corporates?  

As with the trickle-down impacts of national lobbying for local communities, this activity also brings challenges and opportunities to corporate firms.  

One very real challenge of policy change at federal level and state level is compliance. Any shift in national/state policies may impose new regulations on corporates that must be met and are costly to implement. Although harmonization is one positive trait of national lobbying, various states interpreting or implementing any new laws differently can cause confusion for businesses. 

If any changes to national policy trickle down to local level in a consistent way though, this can help to create a more stable environment for corporates. Businesses that engage in national lobbying directly also have the opportunity to shape their industry overall and drive positive change locally.  

Changes trickle down to national and state level 

National lobbying is useful for highlighting key issues in certain sectors and driving policy changes at a federal level. Once any amended or new policies are set, they naturally trickle down to have an effect both nationally and locally. This is something that brings challenges to local communities and businesses, but is also something that brings new opportunities.