Too many lobbyists in US politics

One of the biggest challenges for me to understand politics in the United States is getting a grip on how much influence lobbyists exert on everything from legislation, public opinion and news media to rhetoric by politicians.

That task has become ever more daunting given that the lobbying industry has become increasingly pervasive and has continued to grow even during the economic downturn, from $3.30 billion in 2008 to $3.51 billion in 2010, according to the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP).

The number of active federal lobbyists is close to 13,000, and that does not include the vast army of lobbyists at the state level. Just a few months ago when the 12-person bipartisan Super Committee in the US Congress tried to work out a $1.5 trillion federal budget cut over the next 10 years, news in Washington was that the health and defense industries were readying for a battle with their lobbyists.