“Government Relations and Lobbying perform three functions essential to the proper functioning of government and democracy:
1) Providing means for the resolution of conflicts, essential to the perpetuation of a democratic and mutually tolerant society.
2) Funneling important information, analysis, and opinion to government leaders to facilitate informed and balanced decision making.
3) Creating a system of checks and balances, comparable to that within our government, by which competition among interest groups keeps any one of them from attaining permanent power.”
Charles S. Mack, “Democratic Function of Government Relations and Lobbying