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Unique Lobbyist Identifiers. Sarah Bryner , Center for Responsive Politics . Defining the Problem. Lobbyist data, provided by House and Senate, is unstandardized . Impossible to tell whether…. Bryner, Sarah. Bryner, Sarah. The problem, cont. Different counts on the # of lobbyists.
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Unique Lobbyist Identifiers Sarah Bryner, Center for Responsive Politics
Defining the Problem • Lobbyist data, provided by House and Senate, is unstandardized. • Impossible to tell whether… Bryner, Sarah Bryner, Sarah
The problem, cont. • Different counts on the # of lobbyists. • 13,600 from the Senate • 12,000 from OpenSecrets • Cohen, Stephen = Cohen, Steve = Cohen, Stephen A?
Same name, different people Many Faces John Smith & John J. Smith John Q. Smith
One Face Many Names, One Person Meg Jones Meg Taylor Jones Megan T. Jones Megan S. Taylor-Jones
Who’s Who? • Lobbyists get married, change their names • Lobbyists get divorced, change their names • Lobbyists change employers, move in and out of government
Why this Matters HLOGA passed
What can be done? New Column Here Lobbyist ID!