Political influence over standard setting has been defined as “purposeful intervention
in the standard-setting process by an economic entity with the goal of affecting the
outcome of that process to increase that entity’s economic value or wealth or achieve
some other self-interested purpose inconsistent with the FASB’s mission” (Gipper et al.
2013, p. 1) and “…self-interested considerations or pleadings by preparers and others
that may be detrimental to the interests of investors and other users…” (Zeff 2002, p.
43). These definitions suggest that the political lobbying is rooted in self-interest and
is somehow detrimental to the quality of the standards.