New Study Finds A Surprising Number of Religious Lobbyists In Washington, D.C

New Study Finds A Surprising Number of Religious Lobbyists In Washington, D.C

With heated nation-wide arguments in recent years over issues ranging from same-sex marriage to abortion rights, it's no secret that religious organizations play a significant role in influencing the nation's policies.
Now, a new study shows just how big and expansive the "religious lobby" has become.
According to a study released Monday by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life, religious lobbying and religion-related advocacy organizations have grown fivefold, from less than 40 in 1970 to more than 200 today. All together, the organizations, which range from the influential U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to smaller Hindu and Sikh organizations, spend $390 million per year advocating on about 300 domestic and international issues, from bioethics and moral issues to economic and poverty concerns.
Lobbying for the Faithful: Religious Advocacy Groups in Washington, D.C. looked at 212 religion-related organizations that work in the nation's capital and collectively employ 1,000 people in the Washington, D.C. area. The study used tax and nonprofit filings by the organizations, some of which are registered as lobbying groups and others which do broader advocacy efforts, to come to its findings.

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