OPINION
The election of President Joe Biden in the United States has brought forth the discussion on whether there should be greater regulations on lobbying within their Congress. One of Biden’s earliest actions, an executive order aimed at curbing the revolving door between corporations and the government, which came shortly after former President Donald Trump, revoked a similar pledge.
Lobbyists are not happy to see the return of restrictions on their service in the executive branch. In the new administration there is a push to further deplete the role of lobbyists in the government. Furthermore, the radical left in the United States claims that lobbying by big corporations is detrimental to the political process, yet this is not true. Lobbyists’ job is to educate the Congress on matters of national and international significance, on which many of the congresspeople lack knowledge. Without lobbyists, there would be a lack of education and pressure on the Congress to further the needs of the nation and increase economic growth.
Lobbying allows for companies, the average citizen, and other nations to ensure that Congress is educated and able to create the best policy. With Trump gone, Russia should invest in creating a well-oiled foreign lobbying campaign in the United States to improve the relationship between the two.
American foreign policy is very malleable and responsive to foreign lobbying. Nations like Israel, Saudi Arabia, and even the small island country of Bermuda have long realized this reality and set a precedent for Russia to follow. Such countries have invested millions into lobbying machines that advance their interests in the United States, and in doing so, have seen their investments pay off in the form of favorable policies.
There is a correlation between the amount a country spends on lobbying in the United States and the relationship the United States has with that particular country. To increase the benefits in the Russian-American relationship, Russian corporations should work to lobby in the United States and gain support from their government and their people.
