Lobbyist is the person who practices political lobby, that is, it manipulates negotiations in the instances of the powers of the public sphere for its own benefit and that of its allies, or even to harm its adversaries.
In reality, there are several types of lobby beyond the political, however this turns out to be the most expressive in contemporary Brazilian society.
The lobbyist acts in organized groups, either overtly or covertly, with the aim of defending their interests. Thus, it is responsible for influencing decision-making so that a given law is approved or vetoed, for example.
From the point of view of public opinion, lobbyists end up being labeled as corrupt, as it is believed that there is a favor exchange between these people and political parties. However, the original definition of lobbyist action is not pejorative but neutral.
When done in a transparent and healthy way, the lobby presents itself as a important tool to guarantee civil and political rights of certain social groups.
In fact, it is a citizen's duty to act as a lobbyist, that is, to participate and actively help to influence decisions taken by the legislature. In this way, the lobbyist contributes to improve the quality of life of all social and economic classes in the country in a balanced way.
Etymologically, the term "lobbyist" originated from the English lobby, which literally means "hall" or "corridor" in Portuguese. According to some experts, this relationship between words arose due to the fact that pressures and articulations between politicians occur in lobbies of hotels and congresses.
Learn more about the meaning of lobby.
Lobbyist in Brazil
In Brazil, as said, the lobbyist gained a negative connotation, mainly because it is related to acts of corruption and illicit pressure movements.
Unlike lobbyists who act for the collective good, the Brazilian lobbyists, as they became popularly known, have selfish interests that benefit only the wishes of their political groups.
Lobbyist and Moneymaker
Unlike the lobbyist, the practice of money changer is considered a crime according to the Federal Police. This person receives this name for trading in foreign currencies, following the rules of an alternative market to the conventional one.
In this way, the money changer makes conversions and charges fees that do not follow the rules established by the current law. In addition to not being inspected, the actions of money changers are also not regulated by the Government and, for this reason, are considered illegal.
Learn more about the meaning of money changer.
