Question:
A formal study of the three branches of government and the way they impact intergovernmental relations necessarily focuses on the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. However, lobbyists and the mainstream media increasingly have a role in how the branches of government interrelate, and how the federal government interacts with the state governments. Do you believe that the impact of lobbyists and the media upon the different branches of government represents a positive influence upon intergovernmental relations? What steps, if any, would you take to regulate the behavior of lobbyists and the media? Do you agree, as does the United States Supreme Court, that lobbyists and the media have a First Amendment right to inject themselves into the public policy process?