The Secular Coalition for America is an advocacy group located in Washington D.C. It describes itself as "protecting the equal rights of nonreligious Americans."
132-402: The Secular Coalition has chapters in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, composed of lobbyists trained by the organization. The Coalition holds an annual lobby day and policy conference, publishes yearly Congressional report cards and voter guides, and in 2013 issued its first Model Secular Policy Guide for Legislatures. Coalition president Herb Silverman was a leading force behind the founding of
264-516: A B.A. degree in philosophy in 2000. Harris began writing his first book, The End of Faith , immediately after the September 11 attacks . He received a Ph.D. in cognitive neuroscience in 2009 from the University of California, Los Angeles , using functional magnetic resonance imaging to conduct research into the neural basis of belief, disbelief, and uncertainty. His thesis
396-408: A big donor. — Lobbyist Jack Abramoff in 2011 Lobbyists often assist congresspersons with campaign finance by arranging fundraisers, assembling PACs, and seeking donations from other clients. Many lobbyists become campaign treasurers and fundraisers for congresspersons. This helps incumbent members cope with the substantial amounts of time required to raise money for reelection bids; one estimate
528-410: A billion dollars, and then using the money to fund an infrastructure bank. He has accused conservatives of perceiving raising taxes as a form of theft or punishment, and of believing that by being rich they create value for others. He has described this view as ludicrous, saying that " markets aren't perfectly reflective of the value of goods and services, and many wealthy people don't create much in
660-562: A certain action and having a big-picture view of the possible sequence of desired actions. Strategic lobbying tries to estimate the possible responses of different groups to a possible lobby approach; one study suggested that the "expectations of opposition from other interests" was a key factor helping to determine how a lobby should operate. Increasingly, lobbyists seek to put together coalitions and use outside lobbying by swaying public opinion. Bigger, more diverse and deep pocketed coalitions tend to be more effective in outside lobbying, and
792-409: A client hires them to push a specific issue or agenda, they usually form coalitions to exert political pressure. Lobbying, as a result, depends on trying to be flexible to new opportunities, but at the same time, to act as an agent for a client. As one lobbyist put it: It's my job to advance the interests of my association or client. Period. — comment by a lobbyist Access is important and often means
924-459: A diverse coalition of organizations and people, sometimes including lawmakers and corporations, and the whole effort may be considered to be a lobby ; for example, in the abortion issue, there is a "pro-choice lobby" and a “pro-life lobby". Most federal lobbyists are based in Washington, DC ; an estimate from 2018 suggested that the count of registered lobbyists who actually lobbied that year
1056-492: A faction as "a number of citizens, whether amounting to a minority or majority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community", and Madison argued in Federalist No. 10 that there was less risk of injury by a narrowly focused faction in a large republic if any negative influence
1188-405: A high-paying job after they decided to leave public office. When such a promise of future employment was accepted, according to Abramoff, "we owned them". This helped the lobbying firm exert influence on that particular congressperson by going through the staff member or aide. At the same time, it is hard for outside observers to argue that a particular decision, such as hiring a former staffer into
1320-433: A letter to a congressperson, or even questions a candidate at a political meeting, could be construed as being a lobbyist . The term "lobbying" generally means a paid activity with the purpose of attempting to "influence or sway" a public official – including bureaucrats and elected officials – towards a desired specific action often relating to specific legislation. If advocacy is disseminating information, then lobbying
1452-424: A lobbying position, was purely as a reward for some past political decision, since staffers often have valuable connections and policy experience needed by lobbying firms. Research economist Mirko Draca suggested that hiring a staffer was an ideal way for a lobbying firm to try to sway their old bosses—a congressperson—in the future. In a one-on-one meeting with a lobbyist, it helps to understand precisely what goal
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#17327756579741584-411: A lobbyist commenting on access When getting access is difficult, there are ways to wear down the walls surrounding a legislator. Jack Abramoff explained: Access is vital in lobbying. If you can't get in your door, you can't make your case. Here we had a hostile senator, whose staff was hostile, and we had to get in. So that's the lobbyist safe-cracker method: throw fundraisers, raise money, and become
1716-493: A lobbyist did actual work; that much of what happens regarding interpersonal relations is obscure despite rather strict disclosure and transparency requirements; that there are sizable monies involved—factors such as these almost guarantee that there will be future scandals involving fraudulent lobbying activity, according to one assessment. A fraud similar to Abramoff's was perpetrated in Maryland by lobbyist Gerard E. Evans, who
1848-409: A long time to build the network of relationships within the lobbying industry, ethical interpersonal dealings are important. A maxim in the industry is for lobbyists to be truthful with people they are trying to persuade; one lobbyist described it this way: "what you've basically got is your word and reputation". An untruth, a lie is too risky to the successful development of a long-term relationship and
1980-711: A meditation course app, Waking Up with Sam Harris . The app provides daily meditations; long guided meditations; daily "Moments" (brief meditations and reminders); conversations with thought leaders in psychology, meditation, philosophy, psychedelics, and other disciplines; a selection of lessons on various topics, such as Mind & Emotion , Free Will , and Doing Good ; and more. Users of the app are introduced to several types of meditation, such as mindfulness meditation, vipassanā -style meditation, loving-kindness meditation , and Dzogchen . In September 2020, Harris announced his commitment to donate at least 10% of Waking Up's profits to highly effective charities, thus becoming
2112-589: A member in June. The Council for Secular Humanism joined in January 2010. Coalition president Herb Silverman was a leading force behind the founding of the organization, which was designed as a framework for cooperation among secular groups in the United States. Silverman believed that nontheistic Americans could gradually gain the respect of politicians and society if they collaborated on issues and presented
2244-492: A narrow party-line vote, and the lobbying effort achieved its result. In 2017, credit reporting agency Equifax lobbied Congress extensively, spending $ 1.1 million in 2016 and $ 500,000 in 2017, seeking rules to limit damage from lawsuits and less regulatory oversight; in August 2017, Equifax's databases were breached and the confidential data of millions of Americans was stolen by hackers and identity thieves, potentially opening up
2376-524: A one-on-one meeting with a legislator. Getting access can sometimes be difficult, but there are various avenues: email, personal letters, phone calls, face-to-face meetings, meals, get-togethers, and even chasing after congresspersons in the Capitol building: My style of lobbying is not to have big formal meetings, but to catch members on the fly as they're walking between the House and the office buildings. —
2508-443: A one-year period required by city ethics rules to abstain from lobbying. While the bulk of lobbying happens by business and professional interests who hire paid professionals, some lobbyists represent non-profits pro-bono for issues in which they are personally interested. Pro bono publico clients offer activities to meet and socialize with local legislators at events like fundraisers and awards ceremonies. Lobbies which push for
2640-615: A particular cause, in the hope that favors will be returned at a later date. Lobbyist Gerald Cassidy encouraged other clients to give for causes dear to a particular client engaged in a current lobbying effort. Some lobbyists give their own money: Cassidy reportedly donated a million dollars on one project, according to one report, which noted that Cassidy's firm received "many times that much in fees from their clients" paid in monthly retainers. And their clients, in turn, had received "hundreds of millions in earmarked appropriations" and benefits worth "hundreds of millions more". The dynamics of
2772-401: A particular set of issues, although one study suggested that of two competing criteria for lobbyists—expertise or access—that access was far more important. Lobby groups and their members sometimes also write legislation and whip bills, and in these instances, it is helpful to have lawyers skilled in writing legislation to assist with these efforts. Lobbyists may write the actual text of
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#17327756579742904-401: A political and legal sensibility. Like lawmakers, many lobbyists are lawyers, and the persons they are trying to influence have the duty of writing laws. That the disciplines of law and lobbying are intertwined could be seen in the case of a Texas lawyer who had been seeking compensation for his unfairly imprisoned client; since his exonerated-prisoner client had trouble paying the legal expenses,
3036-656: A possible new tax provision that might have cost it $ 4 billion overall. So the firm hired Jack Abramoff and paid him a retainer of $ 100,000 a month. He assembled dozens of lobbyists with connections to key congressional committees with the ultimate objective being to influence powerful Senator Charles Grassley . Abramoff began with a fundraising effort to round up "every check" possible. He sought funds from his other lobbying clients: I had my clients understand that just as other clients who had nothing to do with them, would step up and give contributions to congressmen they needed to have some sway with, so similarly they needed to do
3168-468: A possible online sales tax as well as rules about data protection and privacy. Corporations which sell substantially to the government tend to be active lobbiers. For example, aircraft manufacturer Boeing , which has sizeable defense contracts, pours "millions into lobbying": Boeing Co. is one of the most influential companies in airline manufacturing and has continually shown its influence in lobbying Congress ... Between January and September, Boeing spent
3300-460: A range of topics, including rationality , religion , ethics , free will , neuroscience , meditation , psychedelics , philosophy of mind , politics , terrorism , and artificial intelligence . Harris came to prominence for his criticism of religion , and he is known as one of the "Four Horsemen" of New Atheism , along with Richard Dawkins , Christopher Hitchens , and Daniel Dennett . Harris's first book, The End of Faith (2004), won
3432-400: A rational case for torture in rare circumstances. Harris opposes religious claims to Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state . Nonetheless, Harris has said that due to the hostility towards Jews, if there is one religious group which needs protections in the form of a state, it is Jews and the state of Israel. Harris has criticized both Israel and Palestine for committing war crimes in
3564-489: A regular schedule. The podcast focuses on a wide array of topics related to science and spirituality, including philosophy, religion, morality, free will, neuroscience, meditation, psychedelics and artificial intelligence. Harris has interviewed a wide range of guests, including scientists, philosophers, spiritual teachers, and authors. Guests have included Jordan Peterson , Dan Dennett, Janna Levin , Peter Singer , and David Chalmers . In September 2018, Harris released
3696-478: A rolling conversation – on podcasts, YouTube and Twitter, and in sold-out auditoriums – that sound unlike anything else happening, at least publicly, in the culture right now." In November 2020, Harris stated that he does not identify as a part of that group. In 2021 Harris stated that he had "turn[ed] in [his] imaginary membership card to this imaginary organization". In 2023 during an interview with The Daily Beast , Harris explained that he had broken away from
3828-531: A single issue have grown in importance during the past twenty years. Corporations generally would be considered as single issue lobbies. If a corporation wishes to change public policy, or to influence legislation which impacts its success as a business, it may use lobbying as a "primary avenue" for this purpose. Lobbies which represent groups such as labor unions , business organizations, and trade associations may be considered multiple issue lobbies , and be willing to accept compromise. Taxpayer-funded lobbying
3960-478: A strong influence on the political system ; for example, a study in 2014 suggested that special interest lobbying enhanced the power of elite groups and was a factor shifting the nation's political structure toward an oligarchy in which average citizens have "little or no independent influence". The number of lobbyists in Washington is estimated to be over 12,000, but most lobbying (in terms of expenditures),
4092-584: A total of $ 12 million lobbying according to research by OpenSecrets . Additionally, Boeing has its own political action committee, which donated more than $ 2.2 million to federal candidates during the 2010 election cycle. Of that sum, 53 percent went to Democrats. ...Through September, Boeing's PAC has donated $ 748,000 to federal politicians. In the spring of 2017, there was a fierce lobbying effort by Internet service providers (ISPs) such as Comcast and AT&T, and tech firms such as Google and Facebook, to undo regulations protecting consumer privacy. Rules passed by
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4224-531: A unified delegation of members of the secular movement from across the country, met with representatives of the Obama administration for an official policy briefing—the first of its kind specifically for American non-theists. The group raised three particular areas of concern to secular Americans: military proselytizing and religious coercion, fixing the Faith-Based Initiatives program , and ending
4356-467: A unified force for activism. Silverman had been raised Jewish but joined a Unitarian Church in adulthood. The Coalition's member organizations, as of 2023, are: The Secular Coalition for America Board of Directors is democratically structured. Directors are nominated and voted on to serve by the member organizations. Officers may be associated with member organizations or may come from the wider freethought community. In August 2022, Steven Emmert became
4488-471: A valuable resource for the news media or voters, the information helped lobbyists monitor congressional voting patterns. As a general rule, lawmakers must vote as a particular interest group wishes them to vote, or risk losing support. Strategy usually dictates targeting specific office holders. On the state level, one study suggested that much of the lobbying activity targeted the offices of governors as well as state-level executive bureaucrats; state lobbying
4620-515: A variety of interest group leaders to unite behind a hopefully simple easy-to-grasp and persuasive message. It is important for lobbyists to follow rules governing lobbying behavior. These can be difficult and complex, take time to learn, require full disclosure, and mistakes can land a lobbyist in serious legal trouble. Gifts for congresspersons and staffers can be problematic, since anything of sizeable value must be disclosed and generally such gifts are illegal. Failure to observe gift restrictions
4752-401: A way of implementing social control and to crackdown on people's freedom politically. Harris has feuded with Bret Weinstein over his views on COVID-19. In 2023, he said that if COVID-19 had killed more children, there would be no patience for vaccine skepticism. In March 2023, he hosted Matt Ridley and Alina Chan on his podcast to discuss the origins of COVID-19 and the potential that
4884-499: A way to ratchet up their fears of adverse legislation as well as stoke possible future contributions; the lobbyists committed other violations such as grossly overbilling their clients as well as violating rules about giving gifts to congresspersons. Numerous persons went to jail after the scandal. The following are factors which can make fraud a fairly easy-to-do activity: that lobbyists are paid only to try to influence decision-makers, and may or may not succeed, making it hard to tell if
5016-532: Is Jewish but not religious. He was raised by his mother following his parents' divorce when he was age two. Harris has stated that his upbringing was entirely secular and that his parents rarely discussed religion, though he also stated that he was not raised as an atheist . While his original major was in English, Harris became interested in philosophical questions while at Stanford University after an experience with MDMA . The experience interested him in
5148-464: Is a betrayal of science – and yet it is the lifeblood of religion." While purportedly opposed to religion in general and the belief systems of them, Harris believes that all religions are not created equal. Often invoking the non-violent nature of Jainism to contrast with Islam , Harris argues that the differences in religious doctrines and scriptures are the main indicators of a religion's value. In September 2006 Harris debated Robert Wright on
5280-419: Is a rational case for gun ownership due to the fact that the police cannot always be relied on and that guns are a good alternative. Harris has stated that he disagrees with proposals by liberals and gun control advocates for restricting guns, such as the assault weapons ban , since more gun crimes are committed with handguns than the semi-automatic weapons which the ban would target. Harris has also said that
5412-401: Is anecdotal evidence that a business firm seeking to profitably influence legislation has to pay particular attention to which lobbyist it hires. Strategic considerations for lobbyists, trying to influence legislation, include "locating a power base" or a constituency logically predisposed to support a given policy. Timing, as well, is usually important, in the sense of knowing when to propose
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5544-504: Is another possibility, which is to be vividly aware of your experience in each moment in a way that frees you from routine misery. Harris considers that the well-being of conscious creatures forms the basis of morality. In The Moral Landscape , he argues that science can in principle answer moral questions and help maximize well-being. Harris rejects the moral authority of religion, and points to what he sees as failures or misplaced priorities, for example saying that "The Catholic Church
5676-633: Is far from the peak of possible intelligence. He described making artificial superintelligence safe as "one of the greatest challenges our species will ever face", indicating that it would warrant immediate consideration. Harris describes himself as a liberal, even though he criticizes some aspects of both right and left. He is a registered Democrat and has never voted Republican in presidential elections. He supports same-sex marriage and decriminalizing drugs . Harris frequently criticized George W. Bush over his support for intelligent design and his coziness with Christianity . In an op-ed for
5808-657: Is focused on only a few sets of issues, according to one report. It is possible for one level of government to lobby another level; for example, the District of Columbia has been lobbying Congress and the President for greater power, including possible statehood or voting representation in Congress; one assessment in 2011 suggested that the district needed to rethink its lobbying strategy, since its past efforts have only had "mixed results". Many executive branch agencies have
5940-482: Is handled by fewer than 300 firms. A report in The Nation in 2014 suggested that while the number of registered lobbyists in 2013 (12,281) decreased compared to 2002, lobbying activity was increasing and "going underground" as lobbyists use "increasingly sophisticated strategies" to obscure their activity. Analyst James A. Thurber estimated that the actual number of working lobbyists was close to 100,000 and that
6072-642: Is it fair to notice that there's a spectrum of religious ideas and commitments and Islam is on one end of it and the Amish and the Jains and others are on another end, and there are real differences here that we have to take seriously.” In 2014, Harris said he considers Islam to be "especially belligerent and inimical to the norms of civil discourse", as it involves what Harris considers to be "bad ideas, held for bad reasons, leading to bad behavior." In 2015 Harris and secular Islamic activist Maajid Nawaz cowrote Islam and
6204-466: Is more concerned about preventing contraception than preventing child rape". Harris also criticizes cultural and moral relativism , arguing that it prevents people from making objective moral judgments about practices that clearly harm human well-being, such as female genital mutilation . Harris contends that we can make scientifically-based claims about the negative impacts of such practices on human welfare, and that withholding judgment in these cases
6336-518: Is particularly concerned with existential risks from artificial general intelligence , a topic he has discussed in depth. In a 2016 TED talk , he argued that it will be a major threat in the future, and criticized the lack of human interest on the subject. He said that artificial superintelligence will inevitably be developed if three assumptions hold true: intelligence is a product of information processing in physical systems, humans will continue to improve intelligent machines, and human intelligence
6468-491: Is public support behind an issue to policymakers and (2) increase public support for the issue among constituents. Kollman suggested outside lobbying was a "powerful tool" for interest group leaders. In a sense, using these criteria, one could consider James Madison as having engaged in outside lobbying , since after the Constitution was proposed, he wrote many of the 85 newspaper editorials arguing for people to support
6600-457: Is tantamount to claiming complete ignorance about what contributes to human well-being. Harris says that the idea of free will "cannot be mapped on to any conceivable reality" and is incoherent. Harris writes in Free Will that neuroscience "reveals you to be a biochemical puppet." While Harris agrees with philosopher Daniel Dennett on several fundamental points about free will - that
6732-451: Is that unsubstantiated claims are bad business. Even worse is planting an informant in an opponent's camp, since if this subterfuge is ever discovered, it will boomerang negatively in a hundred ways, and credibility will drop to zero. The importance of personal relationships in lobbying can be seen in the state of Illinois , in which father-son ties helped push a smart-grid energy bill, although there were accusations of favoritism. And there
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#17327756579746864-501: Is wanted. A lobbyist wants action on a bill; a legislator wants to be re-elected. The idea is to persuade a legislator that what the lobbyist wants is good public policy. Lobbyists often urge lawmakers to try to persuade other lawmakers to approve a bill. Still, persuasion is a subtle business. In one instance of a public relations reversal, a lobbying initiative by the Cassidy firm which targeted Senator Robert C. Byrd blew up when
6996-530: Is when one taxpayer-funded entity lobbies another taxpayer-funded entity, usually for more taxpayer-funds. In the United States this typically takes place in the form of State-level agencies or municipalities devoting part of their budget to lobby the State government for a larger budget. The Constitution was crafted in part to solve the problem of special interests, today usually represented by lobbies, by having these factions compete. James Madison identified
7128-445: Is when this activity becomes focused on specific legislation, either in support or in opposition. Lobbyists are intermediaries between client organizations and lawmakers: they explain to legislators what their organizations want, and they explain to their clients what obstacles elected officials face. Some lobbyists work for advocacy groups , trade associations , companies, and state and local governments. A lobbyist may put together
7260-730: The Los Angeles Times in 2006, Harris said that he supported most of the criticism against the Bush administration 's war in Iraq , and all criticism of fiscal policy and the administration's treatment of science. Harris also said that liberalism has grown "dangerously out of touch with the realities of our world" regarding threats posed by Islamic fundamentalism . Harris criticized the Bush administration for its use of torture at Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo Bay , but also argued that there can be
7392-573: The Los Angeles Times , The Economist , The Times (of London), The Boston Globe , and The Atlantic . Five of Harris's books have been New York Times bestsellers , and his writing has been translated into over 20 languages. The End of Faith (2004) remained on The New York Times Best Seller list for 33 weeks. In September 2013, Harris began releasing the Waking Up podcast (since re-titled Making Sense ). Episodes vary in length but often last over two hours. Releases do not follow
7524-681: The American Bankers Association spent $ 4.6 million on lobbying; an organization representing 100 of the nation's largest financial firms called the Financial Services Roundtable spent heavily as well. A trade group representing Hedge Funds spent more than $ 1 million in one quarter trying to influence the government about financial regulations, including an effort to try to change a rule that might demand greater disclosure requirements for funds. Amazon.com spent $ 450,000 in one quarter lobbying about
7656-480: The COVID-19 virus was made in a lab . Harris has been described, alongside others such as Joe Rogan , Bret Weinstein , and Jordan Peterson , as a member of the intellectual dark web , a group that opposes political correctness and identity politics. New York Times book reviewer Bari Weiss described the group as "a collection of iconoclastic thinkers, academic renegades and media personalities who are having
7788-639: The FDA began considering a cheaper generic version of the costly anti-clotting drug Lovenox , the French pharmaceutical firm Sanofi "sprang into action to try and slow the process." Lobbyists are often assembled in anticipation of a potential takeover bid, particularly when there are large high-profile companies, or a large foreign company involved, and substantial concern that the takeover may be blocked by regulatory authorities. An example may illustrate. The company Tyco had learned that there had been discussion about
7920-1168: The Institute for Humanist Studies , the Secular Student Alliance , and the Secular Web . In 2005 the American Humanist Association became the Coalition's fifth member organization. The Society for Humanistic Judaism and the Freedom From Religion Foundation joined the Coalition in January 2006, the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers in February 2007, and the American Ethical Union in April 2008. In 2009, Camp Quest joined in January and American Atheists became
8052-789: The Israeli–Palestinian conflict . He said in 2014 that he believes Israel genuinely wants peace and that its neighbors are more devoted to the destruction of Israel. Harris has also said that Palestine is more guilty, citing Hamas ' use of human shields and genocidal rhetoric towards the Jews. He names these as reasons that Israel has a right to defend itself against Palestine. During the Israel–Hamas war that began in October 2023, Harris expressed support for Israel and rejected arguments that Israel provoked Hamas by building Israeli settlements in
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#17327756579748184-546: The Making Sense podcast (originally titled Waking Up ), which has a large listenership. Around 2018, he was described as one of the marginalized "renegade" intellectuals, though Harris disagreed with that characterization. In September 2018, Harris released a meditation app , Waking Up with Sam Harris . He is also considered a prominent figure in the Mindfulness movement, promoting meditation practices without
8316-605: The Obama administration in 2016 required ISPs to get "explicit consent" from consumers before gathering browsing histories, locations of businesses visited and applications used, but trade groups wanted to be able to sell this information for profit without consent. Lobbyists connected with Republican senator Jeff Flake and Republican representative Marsha Blackburn to sponsor legislation to dismantle Internet privacy rules; Flake received $ 22,700 in donations and Blackburn received $ 20,500 in donations from these trade groups. On March 23, 2017, abolition of privacy restrictions passed on
8448-554: The PEN/Martha Albrand Award for First Nonfiction and remained on The New York Times Best Seller list for 33 weeks. Harris has since written six additional books: Letter to a Christian Nation in 2006, The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values in 2010, the long-form essay Lying in 2011, the short book Free Will in 2012, Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion in 2014, and (with British writer Maajid Nawaz ) Islam and
8580-861: The Religious Freedom Restoration Act , the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act ; and the Pledge Protection Act as well as other court-stripping measures. The Coalition is particularly active in challenging what it perceives as discrimination against nontheists by government chartered organizations like the Boy Scouts of America . Similarly, it works to keep military chaplains from actively sharing their beliefs with service members. The Coalition also welcomes and works in cooperation with religious groups regardless of affiliation when
8712-623: The Treasury Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission , the Supreme Court, and state governments (including governors). Federal agencies are targeted by lobbyists because they write industry-specific rules; accordingly, interest groups spend "massive sums of money" trying to persuade them to make so-called "carve-outs" or try to block specific provisions from being enacted. A large fraction of overall lobbying
8844-831: The United Food & Commercial Workers International Union spent $ 80,000 lobbying the federal government on issues relating to "the tax code, food safety, immigration reform and other issues." Other possible players in the lobbying arena are those who might influence legislation: House & Senate colleagues, public opinion in the district, the White House, party leaders, union leaders, and other influential persons and groups. Interest groups are often thought of as "nonparty organizations" which regularly try to change or influence government decision-making. Lobbying has much in common with highly people-intensive businesses such as management consulting and public relations , but with
8976-619: The United States Congress . It is often perceived negatively by journalists and the American public; critics consider it to be a form of bribery , influence peddling , and/or extortion . Lobbying is subject to complex rules which, if not followed, can lead to penalties including jail. Lobbying has been interpreted by court rulings as free speech protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution . Since
9108-516: The Vox article, scientists, including Eric Turkheimer , Kathryn Paige Harden , and Richard E. Nisbett , accused Harris of participating in "pseudoscientific racialist speculation" and peddling "junk science". Harris and Murray were defended by commentators Andrew Sullivan and Kyle Smith . Harris and Vox editor-at-large Ezra Klein later discussed the affair in a podcast interview in which Klein accused Harris of "thinking tribally" and Harris accused
9240-574: The "strength in numbers" principle often applies. Interest groups try to build "sustainable coalitions of similarly situated individual organizations in pursuit of like-minded goals". According to one study, it is often difficult for a lobbyist to influence a staff member in Congress directly, since staffers tend to be well-informed and subject to views from competing interests. As an indirect tactic, lobbyists can try to manipulate public opinion which, in turn, can sometimes exert pressure on congresspersons. Activities for these purposes include trying to use
9372-448: The 1970s, the numbers of lobbyists and the size of lobbying budgets has grown and become the focus of criticism of American governance. Lobbying takes place at every level of government: federal, state, county, municipal, and local governments. In Washington, D.C. , lobbyists usually target members of Congress , although there have been efforts to influence executive agency officials as well as Supreme Court appointees. Lobbying can have
9504-515: The 2020 election, he said that he did not care what was on Hunter Biden 's laptop , telling the Triggernometry podcast that "Hunter Biden literally could have had the corpses of children in his basement – I would not have cared", arguing more broadly that both Trump and Biden had been in the public eye for decades, and that Biden would have had to have engaged in an extraordinarily large scale of mendacity to come even close to
9636-535: The Cassidy-Byrd connection was published in The Washington Post ; this resulted in a furious Byrd reversing his previous pro-Cassidy position and throwing a "theatrical temper tantrum" regarding an $ 18 million facility. Byrd denounced "lobbyists who collect exorbitant fees to create projects and have them earmarked in appropriation bills... for the benefit of their clients." Since it often takes
9768-629: The Constitution, and these writings later became the Federalist Papers . As a result of this "lobbying" effort, the Constitution was ratified, although there were narrow margins of victory in four of the state legislatures. Lobbying today generally requires mounting a coordinated campaign, using targeted blitzes of telephone calls, letters, emails to congressional lawmakers, marches down the National Mall , bus caravans, and such, and these are often put together by lobbyists who coordinate
9900-912: The Executive Director. Scott MacConomy is the Director of Policy and Government Affairs. Other current board members are Maggie Ardiente, president; Derek Araujo, vice president; Dana Morganroth, treasurer; Bryan Shelby, secretary; Herb Silverman, founder; Anthony Cruz Pantojas; Claudette St. Pierre; Rebecca Hale; and Lori Lipman Brown. Advisors to the Secular Coalition for America are Woody Kaplan (Chair), Rob Boston , Richard Dawkins , Daniel Dennett , Rebecca Goldstein , Sam Harris , Jeff Hawkins , Wendy Kaminer , Michael Newdow , Dan Okrent , Steven Pinker , Salman Rushdie , Todd Stiefel, and Julia Sweeney . The Secular Coalition for America addresses issues arising out of what they see as
10032-543: The Future of Tolerance . In this book, Harris argues that the word Islamophobia is a "pernicious meme", a label which prevents discussion about the threat of Islam. Harris has been described in 2020 by Jonathan Matusitz, Associate Professor at the University of Central Florida , as "a champion of the counter-jihad left". Harris is also critical of the Christian right in politics in the United States, blaming them for
10164-625: The Future of Tolerance: A Dialogue in 2015. Harris's work has been translated into over 20 languages. Some critics have argued that Harris's writings are Islamophobic . Harris and his supporters, however, reject this characterization, adding that such a labeling is an attempt to silence criticism. Harris has debated with many prominent figures on the topics of God or religion, including William Lane Craig , Jordan Peterson , Rick Warren , Robert Wright , Andrew Sullivan , Cenk Uygur , Reza Aslan , David Wolpe , Deepak Chopra , Ben Shapiro , and Peter Singer . Since September 2013, Harris has hosted
10296-623: The Jain religion has its problems, as Jains believe certain things based on insufficient evidence, which leads to some religious dogmas. Harris has often noted some positive aspects of Buddhist thought, especially in relation to meditation, such as Buddhism 's emphasis that one's behavior and intentions impact the mind, and in order to achieve happiness, one needs to strive towards "overcoming fear and hatred" while "maximizing love and compassion". In 2019, while discussing his book Waking Up: Searching for Spirituality Without Religion, Harris noted that
10428-512: The U.S. government, or to impose sanctions on their rivals. Lobbyists represent their clients' or organizations' interests in state capitols. An example is a former school superintendent who has been lobbying state legislatures in California, Michigan and Nevada to overhaul teacher evaluations, and trying to end the "Last In, First Out" teacher hiring process. State governments can be lobbied by groups which represent other governments within
10560-410: The United States and to protect and strengthen the secular character of the U.S. government. The Coalition advocates complete separation of church and state within American politics which they claim is clearly established in the U.S. Constitution under the First Amendment . Furthermore, the Coalition holds that freedom of conscience , which includes religious freedom, was of such importance that it
10692-637: The West Bank, arguing that Gaza had not been occupied since 2005. He also condemned the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel , which led to the war. In the 2008 United States presidential election , he supported the candidacy of Barack Obama and opposed Republican John McCain 's candidacy. During the 2016 United States presidential election , Harris supported Hillary Clinton in the Democratic Party presidential primaries against Bernie Sanders , and despite calling her "a terribly flawed candidate for
10824-556: The West could learn a lot from the East about the traditions of meditation found in Hinduism and Buddhism , though he considers that meditation can be practiced without any traditional religious beliefs. Harris holds that there is "nothing irrational about seeking the states of mind that lie at the core of many religions. Compassion, awe, devotion, and feelings of oneness are surely among
10956-454: The White House at 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue, claims the term originated there: "It was in the Willard lobby that Ulysses S. Grant popularized the term “lobbyist.” Often bothered by self-promoters as he sat in the lobby and enjoyed his cigar and brandy, he referred to these individuals as "lobbyists." The term lobbying suggests advocacy, advertising, or promoting a cause. A person who writes
11088-458: The actual number of firms which do lobbying regularly is fewer than 300, and that the percent of firms engaged in lobbying was 10% from 1998 to 2006, and that they were "mainly large, rich firms getting in on the fun." These firms hired lobbyists year after year, and there was not much evidence of other large firms taking much interest in lobbying. Corporations considering lobbying run into substantial barriers to entry: corporations have to research
11220-415: The announcement that Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.), a member of the United States Congress since 1973, held the highest office of four public servants to acknowledge a secular world view to the Coalition after being nominated by a contestant. Stark was the first Congressional member to publicly self-identify with the freethought community. On February 26, 2010, the Secular Coalition for America, along with
11352-415: The common understanding of free will, but that he failed to respond adequately to the compatibilist understanding of free will. Dennett said the book was valuable because it expressed the views of many eminent scientists, but that it nonetheless contained a "veritable museum of mistakes" and that "Harris and others need to do their homework if they want to engage with the best thought on the topic." Harris
11484-499: The conventional libertarian idea makes no sense scientifically and that determinism doesn't imply fatalism - he disagrees with Dennett's approach of revising the concept. Harris argues that the traditional notion of free will is fundamentally flawed and its illusion needs to be dispelled rather than redefined, as it leads to problematic moral impulses like vengeance and affects the criminal justice system. Philosopher Daniel Dennett argued that Harris's book Free Will successfully refuted
11616-599: The exemptions granted to religious groups in laws governing child medical abuse and neglect. The Secular Coalition for America published an online Congressional scorecard rating U.S. Representatives and Senators on their roll call votes and legislative sponsorship. Lobbying in the United States Lobbying in the United States is paid activity in which special interest groups hire well-connected professional advocates, often lawyers, to argue for specific legislation in decision-making bodies such as
11748-542: The firm to numerous class action lawsuits . Major American corporations spent $ 345 million lobbying for just three pro-immigration bills between 2006 and 2008. Internet service providers in the United States have spent more than $ 1.2 billion on lobbying since 1998, and 2018 was the biggest year so far with a total spend of more than $ 80 million. From a review in 2020, major food and beverage corporations spent $ 38.2 million on lobbying to strengthen and maintain big food influence in Washington, D.C. One report suggested
11880-556: The first company to sign the Giving What We Can pledge for companies. The pledge was retroactive, taking into account the profits since the day the app launched two years previously. Harris is generally a critic of religion, and is considered a leading figure in the New Atheist movement. Harris is particularly opposed to what he refers to as dogmatic belief, and says that "Pretending to know things one doesn't know
12012-437: The future of God in a debate hosted by ABC News Nightline . Harris debated with Christian philosopher William Lane Craig in April 2011 on whether there can be an objective morality without God. In June and July 2018, he met with Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson for a series of debates on religion, particularly the relationship between religious values and scientific fact in defining truth. Harris has debated with
12144-452: The healthcare industry, compared with every elected politician, was six to one, according to one account. Nevertheless, the numbers of lobbyists actively engaged in lobbying is considerably less, and the ones occupied with lobbying full-time and making significant money is even less. Corporations which lobby actively tend to be few in number, large, and often sell to the government. Most corporations do not hire lobbyists. One study found that
12276-554: The idea he might be able to achieve spiritual insights without the use of drugs. Leaving Stanford in his second year, a quarter after his psychoactive experience, he visited India and Nepal , where he studied meditation with teachers of Buddhist and Hindu religions, including Dilgo Khyentse . For a few weeks in the early 1990s, he was a volunteer guard in the security detail of the Dalai Lama . In 1997, after eleven years overseas, Harris returned to Stanford, completing
12408-406: The inappropriate presence of religion into public policy, such as government funding of religious ministries (the " faith-based initiative " or " charitable choice "); tuition vouchers for religious schools; federally funded abstinence-only sex education ; limits to embryonic stem cell research ; constitutional marriage protection amendments; access to birth control and emergency contraception ;
12540-748: The industry brings in $ 9 billion annually, mostly from corporations. Wall Street spent a record $ 2 billion trying to influence the 2016 United States presidential election . Political scientist Thomas R. Dye said that politics is about battling over scarce governmental resources: who gets them, where, when, why and how. Since government makes the rules in a complex economy such as the United States , various organizations, businesses, individuals, nonprofits, trade groups, religions, charities and others—which are affected by these rules—will exert as much influence as they can to have rulings favorable to their cause. The term lobby has etymological roots in
12672-487: The inside cover is inscribed with the congressperson's name and the name of one's organization. Gifts under $ 5 are allowed. Another exception is awards, so it is permitted to give a congressperson a plaque thanking him or her for support on a given issue. Cash gifts payable by check can only be made to campaign committees, not to a candidate personally or to staff; it is not permitted to give cash or stock. Wealthy lobbyists often encourage other lobbying clients to donate to
12804-448: The intellectual dark web due to disagreements with Bret Weinstein, and Maajid Nawaz 's "obsession" with COVID-19 conspiracy theories and criticism of COVID-19 policies. He also described becoming disenchanted with Dave Rubin for having been captured by his audience and said "Rubin became far more cynical than I would have thought possible. And it's very depressing. He was a friend, he's not a friend anymore". In April 2017, Harris hosted
12936-794: The lawyer lobbied the Texas state legislature to raise the state's payment for unfairly imprisoned prisoners from $ 50,000 per year to $ 80,000 per year; it succeeded, making it possible for his newly freed client to pay the lawyer's fees. Well-connected lobbyists work in Washington for years, know the issues, are highly skilled advocates, and have cultivated close connections with members of Congress, regulators, specialists, and others. They understand strategy and have excellent communication skills; many are well suited to be able to choose which clients they would like to represent. Lobbyists patiently cultivate networks of powerful people, over many years, trying to build trust and maintain confidence and friendships. When
13068-440: The left-wing media gets many things wrong about guns. He has, however, offered support for certain regulations on gun ownership, such as mandatory training, licensure, and background checks before a gun can be legally purchased. During the COVID-19 pandemic , he criticized commentators for pushing views on COVID-19 that he considered to be "patently insane". Harris accused these commentators of believing that COVID-19 policies were
13200-682: The level of scandal Trump is known to have engaged in. In the 2024 United States presidential election , Harris endorsed Kamala Harris . Just a few days before the elections, he joined in a debate on the Honestly podcast where he argued in favor of supporting Kamala Harris, while Ben Shapiro presented the case for Donald Trump . Harris supports raising taxes on the wealthy and reducing government spending, and has criticized billionaires like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett for paying relatively little in tax. He has proposed taxing 10% for estates worth above 10 million, taxing 50% for estates worth over
13332-532: The lobbying world make it fairly easy for a semi-skilled operator to defraud a client. This is essentially what happened in the Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal . There was a concerned client—in this case, an Indian casino —worried about possible ill-effects of legislation on its gambling business; and there were lobbyists such as Jack Abramoff who knew how to exploit these fears. The lobbyists actively lobbied against their own casino-client as
13464-496: The mass media, cultivating contacts with reporters and editors, encouraging them to write editorials and cover stories to influence public opinion, which may have the secondary effect of influencing Congress. According to analyst Ken Kollman, it is easier to sway public opinion than a congressional staff member since it is possible to bombard the public with "half-truths, distortion, scare tactics, and misinformation." Kollman suggests there should be two goals: (1) communicate that there
13596-635: The most valuable experiences a person can have", saying: Everything of value that people get from religion can be had more honestly, without presuming anything on insufficient evidence. The rest is self-deception, set to music. Harris rejects the dichotomy between spirituality and rationality , favoring a middle path that preserves spirituality and science but does not involve religion. He writes that spirituality should be understood in light of scientific disciplines like neuroscience and psychology . Science, he contends, can show how to maximize human well-being, but may fail to answer certain questions about
13728-449: The nature of being, answers to some of which he says are discoverable directly through our experience. His conception of spirituality does not involve a belief in any god. In Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion (2014), Harris describes his experience with Dzogchen , a Tibetan Buddhist meditation practice, and recommends it to his readers. He writes that the purpose of spirituality (as he defines it – he concedes that
13860-656: The need for any religious beliefs. Samuel Benjamin Harris was born in Los Angeles , California, on April 9, 1967. He is the son of the late actor Berkeley Harris, who appeared mainly in Western films, and television writer and producer Susan Harris (née Spivak), who created Soap and The Golden Girls , among other series. His father, born in North Carolina, came from a Quaker background, and his mother
13992-543: The organization. Former White House staffer Edwina Rogers served as Executive Director from May 2012 to May 2014. Sean Faircloth , a five-term Maine state legislator, served as Executive Director between 2009 and 2011. Between 2005 and 2009, it was directed by former Nevada state senator Lori Lipman Brown , who became its first full-time lobbyist in September 2005. The Secular Coalition works to increase visibility and respect for irreligious , nontheistic viewpoints in
14124-563: The physical structure of the British Parliament, in which there was an intermediary covered room outside the main hall. People pushing an agenda would try to meet with members of Parliament in this room, and they came to be known, by metonymy , as lobbyists , although one account in 1890 suggested that the application of the word "lobby" is American and that the term is not used as much in Britain . The Willard Hotel, 2 blocks from
14256-518: The political focus on "pseudo-problems like gay marriage". He is also critical of liberal Christianity – as represented, for instance, by the theology of Paul Tillich – which he argues claims to base its beliefs on the Bible despite actually being influenced by secular modernity. He further states that in so doing liberal Christianity provides rhetorical cover to fundamentalists. Harris emphasizes that all religions are not
14388-427: The potential gain is not worth the risk. One report suggested that below-the-belt tactics generally do not work. One account suggest that groping for "personal dirt" on opponents was counterproductive since it would undermine respect for the lobbyist and their clients. And, by reverse logic, if an untruth is told by an opponent or opposing lobby, then it makes sense to publicize it. But the general code among lobbyists
14520-609: The power to write specific rules and are a target of lobbying. Federal agencies such as the State Department make rules such as giving aid money to countries such as Egypt , and in one example, an Egyptian-American businessman named Kais Menoufy organized a lobby to try to halt U.S. aid to Egypt. In recent years there has been an increase in sanctions related lobbying, according to The Washington Post . In these lobbying efforts, foreign entities or governments lobby either to roll back sanctions that have been imposed on them by
14652-482: The presidency", he favored her in the general election and came out strongly in opposition to Donald Trump 's candidacy. Harris has criticized Trump for lying, stating in 2018 that Trump "has assaulted truth more than anyone in human history." In the 2020 United States presidential election , Harris supported Andrew Yang in the Democratic primaries. Harris also introduced Yang to podcaster Joe Rogan . After
14784-420: The proposed law, and hire lawyers to "get the language down pat"—an omission in wording or an unclear phrase may open up a loophole for opponents to wrangle over for years. Lobbyists can often advise a lawmaker on how to navigate the approval process. Sam Harris Samuel Benjamin Harris (born April 9, 1967) is an American philosopher , neuroscientist , author, and podcast host. His work touches on
14916-459: The rationality of religious belief. In 2007, he engaged in a lengthy debate with conservative commentator Andrew Sullivan on the Internet forum Beliefnet . In April 2007, Harris debated with evangelical pastor Rick Warren for Newsweek magazine. Harris debated with Rabbi David Wolpe in 2007. In 2010, Harris joined Michael Shermer to debate with Deepak Chopra and Jean Houston on
15048-420: The relevant laws about lobbying, hire lobbying firms, and cultivate influential people and make connections. When an issue regarding a change in immigration policy arose, large corporations currently lobbying switched focus somewhat to take account of the new regulatory world, but new corporations—even ones likely to be affected by any possible rulings on immigration—stayed out of the lobbying fray, according to
15180-475: The religious group(s) share their beliefs of freedom of conscience and separation of church and state. The Secular Coalition for America espouses religious tolerance to people of all religions and those without. In 2007 the Secular Coalition for America pledged a $ 1,000 reward to the person identifying the highest level elected official to openly acknowledge no supernatural beliefs. The "Find an Atheist, Humanist, Freethinker Elected Official Contest" concluded with
15312-474: The same and that if any religion can be considered a "religion of peace", it is not Islam, but rather Jainism , which emerged in India around the same time as Buddhism, and has non-violence as its core doctrine. He underscores that to be a practicing Jain, one has to be a vegetarian and a pacifist, while the Jain monks even wear masks in order to avoid breathing in any living thing. But, he points out that even
15444-565: The same. I went to every client I could, and rounded up every check we could for him. "Government has grown so complex that it is a virtual certainty that more than one agency would be affected by any piece of legislation," according to one view. Lobbyists, therefore, spend considerable time learning the ins and outs of issues, and can use their expertise to educate lawmakers and help them cope with difficult issues. Lobbyists' knowledge has been considered to be an intellectual subsidy for lawmakers. Some lobbyists become specialists with expertise in
15576-550: The scholar Reza Aslan . In 2006, Harris described Islam as "all fringe and no center", and wrote in The End of Faith that "the doctrine of Islam ... represents a unique danger to all of us", arguing that the war on terror is really a war against Islam. In 2007, Harris in the famous “Four Horsemen” debate asked fellow atheists, Hitchens, Dawkins, and Dennett, “Do you feel there's any burden we have, as critics of religion, to be evenhanded in our criticism of religion, or
15708-425: The social scientist Charles Murray on his podcast, discussing topics including the heritability of IQ and race and intelligence . Harris stated the invitation was out of indignation at a violent protest against Murray at Middlebury College the month before and not out of particular interest in the material at hand. The podcast episode garnered significant criticism, most notably from Vox and Slate . In
15840-462: The state, such as a city authority; for example, the cities of Tallahassee and St. Petersburg lobbied the Florida legislature using paid lobbyists to represent the city's interests. There is lobbying activity at the county and municipal levels, especially in larger cities and populous counties. For example, some Chicago aldermen became lobbyists after serving in municipal government, following
15972-855: The study. Still, of all the entities doing lobbying in Washington, the biggest overall spenders are, in fact, corporations. In the first decade of the 2000s, the most lucrative clients for Gerald Cassidy 's lobbying firm were corporations, displacing fees from the appropriations business. Wall Street lobbyists and the financial industry spent upwards of $ 100 million in one year to "court regulators and lawmakers", particularly since they were "finalizing new regulations for lending, trading and debit card fees." One academic analysis in 1987 found that firms were more likely to spend on lobbying if they were both large and concerned about "adverse financial statement consequences" if they did not lobby. Big banks were "prolific spenders" on lobbying; JPMorgan Chase has an in-house team of lobbyists who spent $ 3.3 million in 2010;
16104-399: The term's uses are diverse and sometimes indefensible) is to become aware that our sense of self is illusory, and says this realization brings both happiness and insight into the nature of consciousness , mirroring core Buddhist beliefs. This process of realization, he argues, is based on experience and is not contingent on faith . When you learn how to meditate, you recognize that there
16236-544: The twentieth century. The last few decades have been marked by an exponential increase in lobbying activity and expenditures. The number of registered Washington lobbyists is substantial. In 2009, The Washington Post estimated that there were 13,700 registered lobbyists, describing the nation's Capitol as "teeming with lobbyists.". In 2011, The Guardian estimated that in addition to the approximately 13,000 registered lobbyists, thousands more unregistered lobbyists could exist in Washington. The ratio of lobbyists employed by
16368-479: The way of value for others. In fact, as our recent financial crisis has shown, it is possible for a few people to become extraordinarily rich by wrecking the global economy". Harris owns guns and wrote in 2015 that he understood people's hostility towards gun culture in the United States and the political influence of the National Rifle Association of America . However, he argued that there
16500-478: Was 11,656. The Washington D.C. lobbying industry is an exclusive one, with serious barriers to entry, since it requires them to have been "roaming the halls of Congress for years and years." It is possible for foreign nations to influence the foreign policy of the United States through lobbying or by supporting lobbying organizations directly or indirectly. Generally, lobbyists focus on trying to persuade decision-makers: Congress, executive branch agencies such as
16632-588: Was an "intensely personal game" with face-to-face contact being required for important decisions. Lobbying can be a counteractive response to the lobbying efforts of others. One study suggested this was particularly true for battles surrounding possible decisions by the Supreme Court which is considered as a "battleground for public policy" in which differing groups try to "etch their policy preferences into law". Sometimes there are lobbying efforts to slow or derail other legislative processes; for example, when
16764-489: Was convicted of mail and wire fraud in 2000 in a case involving falsely creating a "fictitious legislative threat" against a client, and then billing the client to work against this supposed threat. Lobbyists routinely monitor how congressional officials vote, sometimes checking the past voting records of congresspersons. One report suggested that reforms requiring "publicly recorded committee votes" led to more information about how congresspersons voted, but instead of becoming
16896-409: Was counteracted by other factions. In addition, the Constitution protected free speech , including the right to petition the government, and these rights have been used by lobbying interests throughout the nation's history. There has been lobbying at every level of government, particularly in state governments during the nineteenth century, but increasingly directed towards the federal government in
17028-484: Was made the first of all freedoms protected in the Bill of Rights , and that reason and science should be guiding tenets for public policy. The mission of the Secular Coalition for America is to advocate for the equal rights of nonreligious Americans and defend the separation of religion and government. The Secular Coalition for America was founded in 2002 by four U.S. secular organizations: Atheist Alliance International ,
17160-425: Was one factor which caused lobbyist Jack Abramoff to eventually plead guilty to a "raft of federal corruption charges" and led to convictions for 20 lobbyists and public officials, including congressperson Bob Ney and Bush deputy interior secretary Stephen Griles . Generally gifts to congresspersons or their staffs or federal officials are not allowed, but with a few exceptions: books are permitted, provided that
17292-414: Was that congresspersons had to spend a third of their working hours on fundraising activity. PACs are fairly easy to set up; it requires a lawyer and about $ 300, roughly. An even steeper possible reward which can be used in exchange for favors is the lure of a high-paying job as a lobbyist; according to Jack Abramoff, one of the best ways to "get what he wanted" was to offer a high-ranking congressional aide
17424-538: Was titled The Moral Landscape: How Science Could Determine Human Values . His advisor was Mark S. Cohen . Harris's writing concerns philosophy , neuroscience , and criticism of religion . He came to prominence for his criticism of religion ( Islam in particular) and he is described as one of the Four Horsemen of Atheism , along with Richard Dawkins , Christopher Hitchens , and Daniel Dennett . He has written for publications such as The New York Times ,
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