Article snippet: Most popular on BostonGlobe.com Based on what you've read recently, you might be interested in theses stories WASHINGTON — The amount of lobbying activity being reported has declined in President Trump’s Washington, but observers say it’s not because he is making good on his promise to “drain the swamp” of special interests. The slow pace of legislation, stiffer rules, and a gradual decline in the number of lobbyists have contributed to the decrease in the first half of 2017. The number of registered lobbyists has dipped to a low point, and special interests, after an initial burst in activity earlier this year, have in the past few months reported less spending than in almost any similar period in the past 10 years. There were 9,791 registered lobbyists at the end of June, the fewest since at least 2008, according to a Globe review of the last decade of lobbying data collected by the Center for Responsive Politics. Overall spending by special-interest groups has not increased over previous years, despite early predictions that there would be a ramp up in activity to mark a new administration. “It’s surprising,” said Dan Auble, a senior researcher at the Center for Responsive Politics. “Everyone expects when there’s a change in party and agenda — and claims of changing a lot of policies — that it’s a huge opportunity for companies and industries.” But lobbyists, as well as those who study their activity, caution that the drop-off is probably not... Link to the full article to read more