Most savvy citizens would agree that well-funded lobbying is one of the most opaque, troubling parts of the American political system. But what can be done about it? Nick Meehan, a student at The Design Academy Eindhoven in the Netherlands, has an answer: His graduation project, The Lobby, is an ambitious plan to use the power of crowdfunding to radically democratize lobbying.His idea, which would allow anyone to pool resources to support their cause, is so grand that I had to know more. I called Nick, who was enjoying a holiday in his hometown of Los Angeles, to see how he’s planning to take the political lobby by crowdfunding storm.MOTHERBOARD: How did you come up with the idea for The Lobby?
Nick Meehan: In the aftermath of a school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012, a bill was proposed in Congress that would have made a background check necessary for anyone who wanted to buy a gun. Despite the fact that 90 percent of the American population supported background checks at the time, the bill didn't pass. This was a victory for the gun lobby, headed by the NRA, which has a lot of influence in Washington.I was so shocked by this outcome that I decided to take a closer look into lobbying. Where is the money coming from? Who is behind it? What kind of influence do they have? Things like that. I wanted to know if it was possible to change the system. That’s when I got the idea for a crowdfunding platform through which the public could become their own lobbyists.What is The Lobby exactly?
The Lobby is a platform where people can pitch their own lobby or campaign around something they want to change in society. Ideally the person who starts the lobby will have some sort of expertise or qualification to start one. Just like with Kickstarter, they briefly talk a bit about themselves, and why the issue should be supported.The issue can be local, like a new dog park in the neighborhood, or national, such as reform of student loans. Others can then support those campaigns through crowdfunding. When a campaign makes a pledge, we put them in contact with lobbyists who pitch why they think they can successfully lobby that issue within the given budget. The initiator then choses one of these lobbyists, who will start to get in touch with politicians, generate support, and ultimately realize the proposal.Isn’t hiring a lobbyist incredibly expensive?
That really depends on what you’re trying to achieve. On a local level you could raise $20,000 to $50,000 and say that this is the amount of money we’re going to spend the next six months to get this and this done. But, indeed, lobbying on a national level can be expensive. In those cases The Lobby, like other crowdfunding platforms, will be more of a starting point where a first investment round can take place and you take it from there.The causes that make it on The Lobby will be extremely successful and will change something in a very concrete way, and the ones that don’t will be extremely unsuccessful. But that doesn’t matter. It’s what makes it democratic. In the end it’s the few projects that do become successful and really make a difference that count.How is The Lobby different from a petition website like change.org?
The problem with petition websites is that they’re really random. People click on a petition to, say, “don’t kill dolphins” and immediately get on with their day. The danger in this is that people feel like they’re doing something when in fact their actions have very little effect. It’s clicking a checkbox or Like button, which makes you feel good about yourself, but one day later you’ve already forgotten about it.The difference is that The Lobby is designed to have a much more direct impact on policy. It requires people to become stakeholders in the cause they’re supporting—not just figuratively but literally, because they’ve invested money into it. It’s literally putting money where your mouth is. If you have money riding on something you’re going to want to know what happens with that money.How big do you think the influence of lobbying on American politics is?
I think the influence is enormous. You have to realize that for a politician it’s almost impossible to know all the ins and outs about the topics they’re voting on. That’s where lobbyists play an important role. They inform policymakers along the lines of “we want you to go this way, here’s why and these are the people who support it.”A lot of the lobbyists have law degrees, and it’s not uncommon for lobbyists to write laws and then hand them to a politician to sign them off. In that way the lobbyists are doing the work for them, and by making the politician’s job easier they’re able to influence policy.Aside from that there’s the financial aspect. Politicians are always looking for campaign funding, and lobby firms help with that by organizing fundraisers for them. People often think lobbyists approach politicians, when in fact it’s the politicians who chase the lobbyists. It’s not uncommon for members of Congress to spend four to five hours a day calling lobbyists for favors.Do you consider lobbying as evil?
No, I think it’s an integral part of politics. And sometimes lobbying can have a positive influence. I just think we could use the current system in a better way. It would be better if lobbyists would speak on behalf of the people instead of on behalf of corporations.The problem with that is that there is very little incentive to do so. There is a lot more money to be made on the side of corporations than there is on the public’s side. When, for instance, a defense contractor like Northtrop Grumman spends ten million on lobbying, it might seem like a lot of money. But when they get $200 million worth of new government contracts in return, then that lobbying proved very lucrative. It’s impossible to make that kind of ROI on the public’s side. That changes with The Lobby.So The Lobby isn’t meant to undermine the practice of lobbying itself?
It is not so much an attempt to defeat the sector as it is a way of using the same instrument in an unintended way. The problem with movements like Occupy, in my opinion, is that they’re always about being against something. I don’t think that’s a very smart way to bring about change. I mean, you can complain about what is wrong in the world but the only way you are going to change it is by changing policy. To work with the system as it exists instead of against it. And apart from the direct influence per issue, I hope The Lobby will help make lobbying more democratic and transparent in general.Can any proposal be posted on The Lobby?
Yes. The only restriction is that no one should disproportionately profit from it financially. That’s why I’ve decided not to allow corporations or large NGOs on the site. But apart from that I want to keep The Lobby open. If someone wants to start a lobby to impeach Obama then there is no reason why he or she shouldn’t be able to do that. The Lobby is about making these things public and getting them out in the open. That’s the whole point. And at the end of the day it’s up to the public to decide which cause will get their support.Do you think lobbyists and politicians will be willing to collaborate?
I don’t see why not. For lobbyists, it will make their work easier because they can represent the public in a more direct way. Of course we will need to work with those lobby firms who have a good track record, as opposed to firms who are currently representing the gun lobby or the oil lobby, for instance. And for politicians I think it would be better to accept money from an open, public system then dealing behind closed doors with corporations. It offers them a chance to show their good will, the will to listen to the people.How far along are you with the project?
Right now we’re still in our infancy trying to make The Lobby a reality. Our current objective is to build support for the idea. I’ve spoken with different lobbyists and they are enthusiastic about the concept. And I’m talking to investors and putting together a board of people with different areas of expertise. Another idea I want to pursue is crowdfunding this crowdfunding platform by running it through sites like Indiegogo and Kickstarter. If all that goes well I hope to go live sometime next year with two small, local proposals. After which we will slowly open The Lobby to all.When will this project be a success for you?
I would be very proud when The Lobby is able push a certain issue that has little to no representation in politics now. Think of something related to climate change, for example. There are important proposals in that area that deserve public support, but are currently not represented in politics, simply because there is no financial drive for it. Hopefully The Lobby can push such a cause and be a counter balance to private influence on politics. That would mean democracy prevailed. That’s when my project would have succeeded.
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Nick Meehan: In the aftermath of a school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012, a bill was proposed in Congress that would have made a background check necessary for anyone who wanted to buy a gun. Despite the fact that 90 percent of the American population supported background checks at the time, the bill didn't pass. This was a victory for the gun lobby, headed by the NRA, which has a lot of influence in Washington.I was so shocked by this outcome that I decided to take a closer look into lobbying. Where is the money coming from? Who is behind it? What kind of influence do they have? Things like that. I wanted to know if it was possible to change the system. That’s when I got the idea for a crowdfunding platform through which the public could become their own lobbyists.What is The Lobby exactly?
The Lobby is a platform where people can pitch their own lobby or campaign around something they want to change in society. Ideally the person who starts the lobby will have some sort of expertise or qualification to start one. Just like with Kickstarter, they briefly talk a bit about themselves, and why the issue should be supported.The issue can be local, like a new dog park in the neighborhood, or national, such as reform of student loans. Others can then support those campaigns through crowdfunding. When a campaign makes a pledge, we put them in contact with lobbyists who pitch why they think they can successfully lobby that issue within the given budget. The initiator then choses one of these lobbyists, who will start to get in touch with politicians, generate support, and ultimately realize the proposal.
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That really depends on what you’re trying to achieve. On a local level you could raise $20,000 to $50,000 and say that this is the amount of money we’re going to spend the next six months to get this and this done. But, indeed, lobbying on a national level can be expensive. In those cases The Lobby, like other crowdfunding platforms, will be more of a starting point where a first investment round can take place and you take it from there.The causes that make it on The Lobby will be extremely successful and will change something in a very concrete way, and the ones that don’t will be extremely unsuccessful. But that doesn’t matter. It’s what makes it democratic. In the end it’s the few projects that do become successful and really make a difference that count.How is The Lobby different from a petition website like change.org?
The problem with petition websites is that they’re really random. People click on a petition to, say, “don’t kill dolphins” and immediately get on with their day. The danger in this is that people feel like they’re doing something when in fact their actions have very little effect. It’s clicking a checkbox or Like button, which makes you feel good about yourself, but one day later you’ve already forgotten about it.The difference is that The Lobby is designed to have a much more direct impact on policy. It requires people to become stakeholders in the cause they’re supporting—not just figuratively but literally, because they’ve invested money into it. It’s literally putting money where your mouth is. If you have money riding on something you’re going to want to know what happens with that money.
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I think the influence is enormous. You have to realize that for a politician it’s almost impossible to know all the ins and outs about the topics they’re voting on. That’s where lobbyists play an important role. They inform policymakers along the lines of “we want you to go this way, here’s why and these are the people who support it.”A lot of the lobbyists have law degrees, and it’s not uncommon for lobbyists to write laws and then hand them to a politician to sign them off. In that way the lobbyists are doing the work for them, and by making the politician’s job easier they’re able to influence policy.Aside from that there’s the financial aspect. Politicians are always looking for campaign funding, and lobby firms help with that by organizing fundraisers for them. People often think lobbyists approach politicians, when in fact it’s the politicians who chase the lobbyists. It’s not uncommon for members of Congress to spend four to five hours a day calling lobbyists for favors.Do you consider lobbying as evil?
No, I think it’s an integral part of politics. And sometimes lobbying can have a positive influence. I just think we could use the current system in a better way. It would be better if lobbyists would speak on behalf of the people instead of on behalf of corporations.The problem with that is that there is very little incentive to do so. There is a lot more money to be made on the side of corporations than there is on the public’s side. When, for instance, a defense contractor like Northtrop Grumman spends ten million on lobbying, it might seem like a lot of money. But when they get $200 million worth of new government contracts in return, then that lobbying proved very lucrative. It’s impossible to make that kind of ROI on the public’s side. That changes with The Lobby.
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It is not so much an attempt to defeat the sector as it is a way of using the same instrument in an unintended way. The problem with movements like Occupy, in my opinion, is that they’re always about being against something. I don’t think that’s a very smart way to bring about change. I mean, you can complain about what is wrong in the world but the only way you are going to change it is by changing policy. To work with the system as it exists instead of against it. And apart from the direct influence per issue, I hope The Lobby will help make lobbying more democratic and transparent in general.Can any proposal be posted on The Lobby?
Yes. The only restriction is that no one should disproportionately profit from it financially. That’s why I’ve decided not to allow corporations or large NGOs on the site. But apart from that I want to keep The Lobby open. If someone wants to start a lobby to impeach Obama then there is no reason why he or she shouldn’t be able to do that. The Lobby is about making these things public and getting them out in the open. That’s the whole point. And at the end of the day it’s up to the public to decide which cause will get their support.Do you think lobbyists and politicians will be willing to collaborate?
I don’t see why not. For lobbyists, it will make their work easier because they can represent the public in a more direct way. Of course we will need to work with those lobby firms who have a good track record, as opposed to firms who are currently representing the gun lobby or the oil lobby, for instance. And for politicians I think it would be better to accept money from an open, public system then dealing behind closed doors with corporations. It offers them a chance to show their good will, the will to listen to the people.How far along are you with the project?
Right now we’re still in our infancy trying to make The Lobby a reality. Our current objective is to build support for the idea. I’ve spoken with different lobbyists and they are enthusiastic about the concept. And I’m talking to investors and putting together a board of people with different areas of expertise. Another idea I want to pursue is crowdfunding this crowdfunding platform by running it through sites like Indiegogo and Kickstarter. If all that goes well I hope to go live sometime next year with two small, local proposals. After which we will slowly open The Lobby to all.When will this project be a success for you?
I would be very proud when The Lobby is able push a certain issue that has little to no representation in politics now. Think of something related to climate change, for example. There are important proposals in that area that deserve public support, but are currently not represented in politics, simply because there is no financial drive for it. Hopefully The Lobby can push such a cause and be a counter balance to private influence on politics. That would mean democracy prevailed. That’s when my project would have succeeded.