The lobbying industry involves billions of dollars and plays a crucial role in American politics, giving certain groups and people the power to influence American policy. However, most people are unaware of the intricacies at play. This research project explores the lobbying industry, both from the perspective of lobbyists themselves as well as their clients, by applying machine learning and data science techniques. The goal of the project is to develop models and algorithms that can predict different motivations of a certain lobbyist based on government data and the development of a lobbyist network. Using this in combination with campaign donation data, the research hopes to create a more transparent and detailed view of corporate political behavior and its influence in the US.

Through SuperUROP, I’ll be able to learn what it’s like to go through the process of dedicated research and writing a full research paper. In previous UROPs, I’ve conducted research that served an important purpose, but taking that to the next level and presenting this research to others is what I hope to get in SuperUROP. I want to inform people about the elusive lobbying industry and gain crucial academic and research skills in the process.