Marina Radchenko

The Monroe Doctrine is a declaration of principles of U.S. foreign policy ("America for Americans"). The doctrine was proclaimed on December 2, 1823 in the annual message of U.S. President James Monroe to the U.S. Congress. The doctrine played a major role in the foreign policy of the United States for the entire 19th century and also in the early 20th century.

According to the Monroe doctrine, European countries were obliged to respect the Western Hemisphere as the sphere of interests of the United States. The doctrine had the main goal: to consolidate the role of the United States as an arbitrator and judge in the Western Hemisphere and exclude Western powers from its zone of interests.

The idea of the exclusive status and dominant role of the United States in the Western Hemisphere originated long before Monroe's address to Congress. The tendency to expansion is present in the politics of almost any state. But the idea of expansion has been inherent in the USA since the American Revolutionary War. There were conditions for this - both geographical and socio-economic. Expansion of the territory was vital for the slave-owning plantation economy of the South.

In the period beginning with the War of 1812 against England and before the adoption of the Monroe Doctrine in 1823, the United States annexed Western and Eastern Florida, began the development and settlement of Texas, concluded several agreements with Indian tribes on the purchase of land.

The main ideas of the Monroe Doctrine were:

• The United States does not interfere in internal affairs or any wars between European powers under any conditions;
• The United States recognizes and will not interfere in the affairs of existing colonies in the Western Hemisphere;
• The possibility of further colonization of the Western Hemisphere is excluded;
• Any actions of the European powers in the field of increasing their influence in the Western Hemisphere will be considered as unfriendly towards the United States.

The doctrine essentially became an announcement of the special hegemony of the United States in the Western Hemisphere. The trend only increased in the XX century with Roosevelt's 1904 statement that the United States was "the American police".

Over time, the Monroe Doctrine led only to the distrust and dislike of the United States. Latin American countries were increasingly convinced that they had much more reason to fear US intervention than any European power. In the XXI century, the doctrine was actually abandoned, but its elements are still found in American foreign policy.

Lobbying is a type of activity that involves the influence of individuals and representatives of state and non-state organizations on international organizations or government officials in order to achieve the adoption (or non-acceptance) of certain decisions. In the Encyclopedia Britannica, "lobby" refers to any attempt by an individual or a group of private interests to influence the decisions of the authorities.

The history of lobbying:

The word “lobbying” for the first time was recorded in written language in 1553. It was used to indicate the walking areas in the monastery. A century later, in 1640, this word already meant a room for walking in the House of Commons of England. Gradually, the term began to be used in other countries, in particular in the USA. It is believed that lobbying began to relate directly to politics two centuries later in the USA, where the term “lobbying” began to mean buying votes for money in Congress.

Later, the term "lobbying" began to mean attempts by various stakeholders in various ways to influence the processes of developing and making any decisions. Experts correctly emphasize that lobbying is often associated with bribes, gray schemes, fraud and crime, and lobbyists are perceived as crooks in expensive suits with suitcases full of money.

Nowadays, lobbying is often associated with bribes, frauds and crime. In most countries, lobbying is officially prohibited. However, laws often do not prevent individuals from promoting different interests. There are also a number of countries where lobbying is allowed at the legislative level.

Lobbyists are usually divided into several key groups:

• Political. These are primarily financial, economic and social groups that achieve the necessary influence through participation in political struggle and election campaigns.
• Social. Most of social lobbyists work in trade unions. Their lobbying potential is directly proportional to the economic importance of the industry they represent. Social lobbying can be characterized as protecting the interests of groups in the field of health and social security.
• Economic. Economic lobbyists use various economic measures to put pressure on government decision-making processes.
• Regional. Regional lobbyists are trying to get certain benefits and advantages for their territories and regions.
• Foreign. Foreign lobbyists protect the interests of foreign individuals, companies, governments and organizations. Usually these are foreign groups with the same interests or national communities.