UROP Project

Tracking Lobbyist in Florida

lobbying; state government; legislatures

Research Mentor: Prof. James Strickland,
Department, College, Affiliation: Political Science, Social Sciences and Public Policy
Contact Email: jmstrickland@asu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Political science; public policy; history; economics.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 8-10, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable

Project Description

This project involves the transcription of the names of registered lobbyists in Florida from the 1950s to the present day. Assistants will be given access to high-resolution images of lobbyist registration records from the Florida State Archives, and be instructed how to transcribe the names of lobbyists and their clients into Excel spreadsheets. The data from the Excel sheets may then be used for a variety of research projects, including for UROP posters. Research questions that may be answered using the data include, among others: 1) When did the lobbying industry begin to grow in Florida and why, 2) What kinds of organizations are most active in Florida politics and why, and 3) How long do lobbyists remain in their profession or continue to register?

Research Tasks: Assistants are primarily instructed in transcription of names, data management in Excel, and (possibly) rudimentary data analysis skills (as needed for their UROP poster).

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required: Typing.