The notion of political representation of interest groups is clearly related to functional rather than territorial representation. Interest groups are generally defined as organisations that are separate from government that attempt to influence public policy. They provide institutionalized linkage between the government or the state and major interests in society.

Public Policy Advocates communicate with government representatives, officials and legislators on behalf of clients and causes. Public Policy Advocates represent a variety of entities, including individuals, companies, trade and professional associations, foundations, NGOs etc.

Public Policy Advocates may attempt to persuade government officials through direct contact or by organizing grassroots efforts to encourage citizens to communicate with their elected officials about selected topics.

The European Commission has a two-fold incentive to support European Civil Society: input legitimacy in the policy making process, and the creation of a vibrant polity or social sphere for social cohesion and policy entrepreneurship. In fact, this desire might be even more acute in the Commission which has had to continually fight for legitimacy in the face of member state governments. The Commission hopes that NGOs can construct a transnational civil society, or European social sphere, and in so doing, enhance the legitimacy and saliency of the EU with the European public.

Grassroots Activities in the United States which are generally described as efforts to stimulate “grassroots” lobbying are communications which are directed at members of the general public, or at more selected persons on mailing lists of organizations or other entities, which take specific positions on legislative matters pending before or public policy issues to be considered by the legislature, and which contain a so-called ‘call to action”.

Public policy advocacy has become an integral part of the democratic governmental process in many nations. Tens of thousands of individuals and organizations are now paid to represent diverse clients’ interests before governmental institutions, and more are engaging in this activity every day. Their work derives from the fundamental democratic concept that in a democracy every individual and all other legitimate interests corporations; associations; non-profit organizations; religious organizations; etc.

According to a recent survey undertaken by McKinsey fewer than 30 percent of the executives responding said that their external-affairs groups had the organizational setup and talent necessary to succeed. McKinsey surveyed 2,186 executives on external affairs at their companies. The respondents represented the full range of regions, industries, company sizes, tenures, and functional specialties.

People in the U.S. can elude the lobbying law’s registration requirement by simply interpreting the strict statutory definition of “lobbyist” as not applying to them. That is, so long as they are not spending 20% of their time—think one full day in a normal work week—on behalf of any single client for an entire quarter, then they do not need to register or report their lobbying activities. Think about that: do you ever spend one full day per week for three months straight working on any one project at work?

What do you call a trade association that represents lobbyists when lobbyist has become a dirty word. Lobbyists’ lobbying group (formerly American League of Lobbyists) in Washington DC is now to be referred to as Association of Government Relations Professionals (AGRP).

People often ask what is public policy advocacy? The short answer is that it is an educational process and an essential component of any organization that is subject to government regulations. At its core, public policy advocacy is an educational process: educating business and industry leaders about the governmental process; educating officials about the issues important to business or other constituencies; and educating governmental and business leaders, and the public, about the potential consequences of legislation.

The Washington D.C.-based American League of Lobbyists has changed its name. The organization will be known as the Association for Government Relations Professionals to better reflect the range of its members' professions, including government relations, lobbying and public affairs. The goal of  AGRP is apparently to be the voice of an inter-related professional community that is united in working toward open and transparent debates in the formulation of public policy.