The Ethical Lobbyist: Reforming Washington's Influence Industry

Lobbyists in Washington aren’t a new phenomenon. Since the early days of the republic, citizens and groups alike have hired professionals to press their interests with lawmakers. However, recent examples of misconduct—like that seen in the Abramoff scandal—highlight the unique ethical challenges this industry faces in the twenty-first century.

Though major scandals happen less frequently than popularly believed, the more pervasive ethics problem is that members of the profession often cut d...