Astroturf: Interest Group Lobbying and Corporate Strategy

Thomas Peyton Lyon () and John W. Maxwell ()

Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, 2004, vol. 13, issue 4, pages 561-597

Abstract: We study three corporate nonmarket strategies designed to influence the lobbying behavior of other special interest groups: (1) astroturf, in which the firm covertly subsidizes a group with similar views to lobby when it normally would not; (2) the bear hug, in which the firm overtly pays a group to alter its lobbying activities; and (3) self-regulation, in which the firm voluntarily limits the potential social harm from its activities. All three strategies reduce the informativeness of lobbying, and all reduce the payoff of the public decision-maker. We show that the decision-maker would benefit by requiring the public disclosure of funds spent on astroturf lobbying but that the availability of alternative influence strategies limits the impact of such a policy. Copyright Blackwell Publishing 2004.

Date: 2004
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