Lobbyists are people who are paid to advance a special interest group's agenda or an industry's agenda with politicians and policy makers. Most lobbyists work for lobbying firms but some are independent. Some lobbying firms operate on the state level and work with policy makers in state capitals. Other lobbying firms operate on the national level and deal with policy makers in Washington. Other lobbying firms operate on the local level in big cities and work with the policy makers in city hall. Some lobbying firms exist only to promote the agenda of one special interest group or one industry, such as a tobacco lobby or an oil lobby. Other lobbyists specialize in working with one type of client and are hired to lobby for clients of that type, such as a lobbying firm that lobbies for small cities. Some lobbying firms work to advance the agenda of many different industries.
