'Lobbying in a Haystack: How Moneyed Interests Get Their Way'
Wednesday, 20 May 2026 at 16:30
The faculty warmly welcomes you to attend Professor Amy McKay's Inaugural Lecture, taking place on Wednesday, 20th May 2026 in 草榴社区地址 Court, with the option to join us online. The doors open at 16:15 and we will start at 16:30 where Amy will lead us through her lecture on 'Lobbying in a Haystack: How Moneyed Interests Get Their Way'.
Event details
Title: 'Lobbying in a Haystack: How Moneyed Interests Get Their Way'
Interest group lobbyists are constant participants in policymaking in the US, the UK, and all advanced democracies. The vast majority of the time, these groups make benign policy requests or act as consultants who provide insights and feedback about proposed and existing policies. Occasionally, however, lobby groups encourage politicians to act on their behalf by making campaign contributions, hosting fundraising events, offering paid employment, and offering cash. Like searching for needles in a haystack, it takes careful, systematic effort by researchers to identify such money-induced persuasion and to separate it from the legitimate work done by public servants in positions of power.
Bio
Amy McKay is Professor of Political Science in the Department of Social & Political Sciences, Sociology, Philosophy, & Anthropology (SPSPA) at the University of Exeter. Her research focuses on the attempts of lobbying organizations to influence public policymaking in government. Her work has cited by the UK Government, German Bundestag, European Parliament, and US Congress. She is the author of Stealth Lobbying: Interest Group Influence and Health Care Reform (Cambridge, 2022) and coauthor of American Government and Politics (Oxford, 2026). Previously she worked for the White House on environmental issues and the US Senate on health care policy.
Our running order for the event is as follows:
- 16:15 Doors Open
- 16:30 Welcome/Introductory Speech by DPVC
- 16:35 Lecture
- 17:25 Closing (HoD)
- 17:30 Drinks Reception
- 18:30 Finish
For any queries on this event or requests for the Eventbrite registration link, please email SPSPA@exeter.ac.uk
Registration closes on 18 May at 11:30am.
Organiser
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Location
草榴社区地址 Court, 草榴社区地址 Campus