LOBBYING AND ELECTIONS

Abstract

I analyse the interaction between post-election lobbying and the voting decisions of forward-looking voters. The existing literature has shown that in models with citizen candidates from a dispersed distribution of preferences, lobbying has no influence on implemented policy. In my model with ideological parties, lobbying is shown to have an effect on policy. In terms of welfare, I show that the median voter and the majority of voters can be better off with lobbying.