This article offers a review of the recent empirical literature on lobbying within political
economy. In surveying extant research, we emphasize quid pro quo and informational …

This review identifies empirical facts about lobbying that are generally agreed upon in the
literature. It then discusses challenges to empirical research in lobbying and provides …

American markets, once a model for the world, are giving up on competition. Thomas
Philippon blames the unchecked efforts of corporate lobbyists. Instead of earning profits by …

We explore the role of charitable giving as a means of political influence. For philanthropic
foundations associated with large US corporations, we present three different identification …

Do lobbyists provide issue-specific information to members of Congress? Or do they provide
special interests access to politicians? We present evidence to assess the role of issue …

We examine the effects of constituents, special interests, and ideology on congressional
voting on two of the most significant pieces of legislation in US economic history …

Abstract Washington's “revolving door”––the movement from government service into the
lobbying industry––is regarded as a major concern for policy-making. We study how ex …

Abstract Information is central to designing effective policy, and policy makers often rely on
competing interests to separate useful from biased information. We show how this logic of …

This paper examines the role of firms' sociopolitical reputations, as proxied by their
perceived engagement in socially responsible practices, in public policy makers' decisions …

Scholars, pundits, and political reformers have long worried that corporations distort public
policy and subvert the will of the electorate by donating to politicians. Well-publicized …