Introduction: The Value of Nonprofit Lobbying to Democracy

There exists in human nature a paralytic dichotomy between our instinct for survival, for protecting ourselves and our territories—a basic “me first” human nature greed—and the loftier aspirations we have for the good of the whole, that deep yearning we have to be a part of something bigger than the smaller tribes (sometimes a tribe of one) to which we belong. We instinctively act and react to protect ourselves, while at the same time we form societies not only because we know we can benefit from cooperation, but because as pack animals we intuitively understand that there are both tangible and intangible benefits from belonging to a group. We cherish the rights of the individual; they are democracy’s greatest strength. Yet we join together because the reward of the “sense” and reality of community is a highly prized benefit. The elusive balance between the two is what we strive to achieve.