Why does the author describe 'unnoticed influence' as the kind that matters most?
Lobbying has a bad reputation, and some of it is deserved. When a firm with a seat at every important meeting writes the detail of the law that regulates it, the public interest has been outsourced. But the response should not be to treat all lobbying as corrupt. Charities, trade unions and local residents also lobby, and a ban would silence them along with the large companies. Better to concentrate on transparency: a public register of who met whom, about what, and with what result. Sunlight will not abolish influence, but it will make it harder to exercise unnoticed, and unnoticed influence is the kind that matters most.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Because influence that nobody can see cannot be challenged or answered
- Step 1: The recommendation is that sunlight makes it harder to exercise influence unnoticed.
- Step 2: The implication is that visibility allows challenge, so hidden influence is the more dangerous form.
Answer
Because influence that nobody can see cannot be challenged or answered.
Why not the others: Nothing in the passage claims hidden influence is larger, approved, or that visible influence is always good.
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