Note:
Mary Kathryn Vanderbeck, First Amendment Constraints on Reform of the Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act, 57 Texas L. Rev. 1219 (1979)
 

Abstract:
This note examines the conflict between the legislative purposes and fundamental Constitutional principles regarding improving governmental integrity and accountability in federal lobbying legislation. The note focuses on the then current state of federal law affecting lobbying. The note then examines proposals for new legislation. Ms. Vanderbeck reaches four conclusions. First, enactment of federal lobbying legislation will impose significant and perhaps impermissible burdens on first amendment rights. Second, it is questionable whether lobby registration and disclosure laws substantially further their articulated purposes. Third, these purposes may be better served by legislative codes of ethics and campaign finance disclosure laws already in effect. Finally, even if one concludes that these existing measures are inadequate to preserve the integrity and accountability of the political process, political reform measures other than lobbying legislation holds greater promise for accomplishing these goals.