THE 1995 LOBBYING DISCLOSURE ACT: THE BACKGROUND

THE VIEWS OF TWO LEGISLATORS
Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), a principal sponsor of the 1995 act, explains its provisions and points out initial evidence of its effectiveness. In a statement entered in The Congressional Record on
May 13, 1998, Representative Lee Hamilton (D-IN) emphasizes the "legitimate and important" role that lobbyists and interest groups play in the American system of government.

COMMENTARY

ISSUE ADVOCACY AND ISSUE ADS
ON THE RISE IN THE UNITED STATES
Professor James Thurber, professor of government and director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University, details the rise of issue advocacy groups and issue ads, particularly over the last three decades.

ROUNDTABLE DIALOGUE ON ISSUE ADVOCACY
Richard Sachs, a political scientist and historian with the Congressional Research Service at the Library of Congress; Eusebio Mujal-Leon, chair, Department of Government at Georgetown University; and Bruce Adams, project director of Greater Washington, an alliance of business and community leaders, discuss the pros and cons of lobbying, and ways in which current practices might be improved.

REPORTS

SAVING THE BAY:
A PROFILE OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION
Contributing Editor Stuart Gorin profiles one of the many issue advocacy organizations formed in the 1960s.

DEPARTMENTS

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Recent books and articles on issue advocacy in a democracy.

INTERNET SITES
Sites on the World Wide Web that feature democracy and human rights issues, including issue advocacy themes. The opinions expressed on other Internet sites listed here do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. government.

Issues of Democracy

Electronic Journal of the U.S. Information Agency
Volume 3, Number 2, June 1998

USIA's electronic journals, published and transmitted worldwide at three-week intervals, examine major issues facing the United States and the international community. The journals -- Economic Perspectives, Global Issues, Issues of Democracy, U.S. Foreign Policy Agenda, and U.S. Society & Values -- provide analyses, commentary, and background information in their thematic areas. Versions in Arabic, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian appear approximately two weeks after the English-language version. The opinions expressed in the journals do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Government. Articles may be reproduced and translated outside the United States unless there are copyright restrictions cited somewhere on the articles.

Current or back issues of the journals can be found at the Journals site on the U.S. Information Service (USIS) Home Page on the World Wide Web. They are available in several electronic formats to facilitate viewing on-line, transferring, downloading, and printing. Comments are welcome at your local USIS post or at the editorial offices:

Editor, Issues of Democracy
Democracy and Human Rights - I/TDHR
U.S. Information Agency
301 4th Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20547
United States of America

[email protected].

Publisher............................Judith S. Siegel

Editor.....................................Mark Smith

Managing Editor...........................David Pitts

Associate Editor...........................Wayne Hall

Internet and Text Editor...........Deborah M.S. Brown

Contributing Editor......................Stuart Gorin

Reference Specialist.....................Carol Norton
......................................Barbara Sanders

Art Director.........................Diane Woolverton

Graphics Assistant.......................Sylvia Scott





Editorial Board



Howard Cincotta...Judith S. Siegel...John Davis Hamill

Issues of Democracy
USIA Electronic Journal, Vol. 3, No. 2, June 1998