Advocacy for education: How does an educational lobbyist develop and influence a state educational policy agenda

This qualitative case study explored how an educational lobbyist effectively navigated between constituent groups and California legislators and their staffs to influence the agenda setting part of the policy process on behalf of clients. This investigation searched for understandings about the lobbyist's influence work by using three sources: (1) interviews with the lobbyist under study, (2) researcher observations and field notes taken in the field with the lobbyist, and (3) interviews with the lobbyist's clients and associates (which included legislative staff, fellow lobbyists and other staff at the lobbyist's firm).;The researcher collected data during seven "shadowing sessions", which were days spent with the lobbyist while he conducted his influence work in Sacramento, California. During these shadowing sessions, the researcher used a digital recorder to document field notes, and interviews with the lobbyist and other participants in the study. Phone interviews were also conducted with two clients and three legislative staff members on non-shadowing days. The researcher used a digital recorder to document the contents of those interviews as well.;The findings from this study suggest that the lobbyist influenced clients by giving them advice about achievable policy goals. It appears that he influenced legislative staff members by providing them with information that allowed him to participate in the decision making process on behalf of his clients. And, it appears that he also collaborated with other lobbyists in "coalitions" to augment the size of the group requesting policy change.;The clearest evidence of the lobbyist's influence work during the agenda setting part of the policy process came from bill language that he provided to legislative staff, which was sponsored by a legislator, and became part of the legislative agenda.;Subsequent studies should determine the degree to which the findings from this study of a single educational lobbyist represent broader understandings about the influence work of educational lobbyists in general.