First, not all EAs agree that all side-constraints should be binding. Second, most lobbying isn’t about donations—donations are used to help get someone elected, instead of their opponent, but that doesn’t usually get the politician to change their mind on a topic—it just gets to donor time to discuss things with the elected official. And so, third, informing government officials often simply makes the issue salient, rather than changing opinions—most of the time, for most topics, governments don’t do X because they are busy and no-one got it on their agenda. Lobbying can change that. Of course, some lobbying is more pernicious—but I think that those types of lobbying aren’t necessary for many EA causes, which are already widely shared, if unreflectively.
First, not all EAs agree that all side-constraints should be binding. Second, most lobbying isn’t about donations—donations are used to help get someone elected, instead of their opponent, but that doesn’t usually get the politician to change their mind on a topic—it just gets to donor time to discuss things with the elected official. And so, third, informing government officials often simply makes the issue salient, rather than changing opinions—most of the time, for most topics, governments don’t do X because they are busy and no-one got it on their agenda. Lobbying can change that. Of course, some lobbying is more pernicious—but I think that those types of lobbying aren’t necessary for many EA causes, which are already widely shared, if unreflectively.