№ 4 - 2006
Belousov A.B.
Discrete Model of Lobbyist Communication

In the article, it is undertaken to present a new approach to the research of commu-nicational specificity of lobbyism. On subjecting to criticism the now dominant ideas of lobbyist communication as interest groups' exertion of influence upon the power, the author demonstrates that the lobbying process has a far more complex and differentiated character and presupposes, instead of unidirectional influence, a multitude of communicative transactions. It becomes possible, in his opinion, to take into consideration these specific features of lobbyism with the help of a discrete model of lobbyist communication which takes into account the possibility of the power's active behaviour, i.e. interprets lobbyism as a process of mutual influence and of interaction. Having applied, as methodological basis, the model of communication system elaborated by C.Shannon and W.Weaver, the author analyzes different aspects of lobbyism, such as conflict of interests, inclusion of additional actors into lobbyist communication and formation of lobbyist files, stimulation of lobbyist activity, and many more.