Last week, K Street Cafe asked the question, “How should advocacy organizations adapt to stay relevant in the changing paradigm of constituent engagement with Congress and the Administration that largely removes the need for any sort of intermediary presence?” More to the point – will transparent government remove the need for advocacy organizations?
Brad Fitch weighed in last week, writing that the expertise of advocacy organizations is such that they will always be valuable, and I agree with him. Apparently, so does the Obama Administration.
According to a recent article by Peter Wallsten in the L.A. Times, Obama’s answer to the question would also be a resounding no. Otherwise, he would have no need to transform his campaign organization into an advocacy organization:
As Barack Obama builds his administration and prepares to take office next week, his political team is quietly planning for a nationwide hiring binge that would marshal an army of full-time organizers to press the new president’s agenda and lay the foundation for his reelection…People familiar with the plan say Obama’s team would use the network in part to pressure lawmakers — particularly wavering Democrats — to help him pass complex legislation on the economy, healthcare and energy.
Transparency does not remove the need for advocacy organizations.
Most citizens could never dream of sifting through the reams of information on the issues they care about, let alone digesting what it all means. Most live busy lives and do not have the kind of time required to study every policy, every piece of legislation and every proposed regulation.
Advocacy organizations do have time. They are funded by individuals (or companies) with a mission to look after the best interest of their members. Their professional staff keeps up on the progress of legislation through Congress, informing their members of critical information and advocating on their behalf.
Transparency is crucial to democracy and I support efforts to make information available to the public. But more information means there is more to digest. The average citizen will continue to rely on the organizations to help keep them informed.
