The case for associational self-regulation of lobbying in the United States

While governments frequently regulate many trades, businesses, and professions, there are limits to which lobbying and advocacy can be controlled. This is especially true in the United States where lobbying is understood to be a constitutional right and thus protected by the courts from significant regulation. I therefore propose that the lobbying profession regulate itself through a set of codes of ethics and good conduct. There is a long tradition in the United States of professions regulating themselves through their associations so that the coercive hand of the state is limited and often invisible. In this paper I explore this history, briefly compare how associational self-regulation happens with architecture, medicine, law, and talent managers, and then propose how it might be done for the lobbying profession. The paper ends with a proposed code of ethics and conduct for the lobbying profession.