Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Political parties and interest groups
Interest groups in politics
Political parties and interest groups
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Political parties and interest groups
odi 3 Abigael A.
Oshodi Professor Sherifian GOVT 2306-73011 05 April 2017 Lobbyists and Interest Groups in Texas Since “we the people” have little influence in decision making in terms of laws passed and rejected by the legislature, interest groups have always being our voice in the midst of the law-makers. These interest groups employ lobbyists to enter into the inner chambers of these law-makers to lobby them in order to bend laws towards the interest of what they stand for, which most of the time is what “we the people” also stand for. According to my research, lobbying involves spending money on entertaining the law-makers, their employees, and even their relatives. Recently, these lobbyists have failed to disclose who they lobbied with
…show more content…
This country was framed in such a way that the type of government practiced is not direct democracy, but representative democracy. Because of this, individual citizens do not have the opportunity to influence politics on their own, except some like-minded people come together to represent the interests of a large population and work towards making the voices of the people heard through their own voice. Even in real sense, a collective effort goes a long way in influencing decision-making rather than a large amount of people, each man speaking for …show more content…
Some of Texas interest groups are:
3 · Texas Right to Life committee [2]: They are basically pro-life; they believe everyone should have the right to live so, they oppose abortion, but support adoption. An example of the laws they made to pass is the Senate Bill 2 [3] (which later reemerged as House Bill 2), this was a pro-life bill signed into law on July 18, 2016.
· Texas State Rifle Association (TSRA) [4]: They are basically pro-gun. They work to educate elected representatives, the media, and the public about issues relating to the freedoms guaranteed by the Second Amendment—protecting the lawful possession and use of firearms, providing gun safety training, supporting the shooting sports, hunter education, and wildlife conservation efforts [5]. An example of the laws they made to pass is the Senate Bill 1907 by Sen. Hegar/Rep. Kleinschmidt, which allows college students with a concealed handgun license to store their handgun in their personal locked vehicle on college property without sanctions
Essentially, interest groups use many different tactics to accomplish their central goals but this paper will detail 2 of them. The first being lobbying, which is the act of persuading businesses as well as government leaders to help a specific organization by changing laws or creating events in favor of that group. Interest groups use this technique by hiring someone to represent them and advocate their cause to on the behalf of the entire group. These hired representatives usually have more than enough experience within the political field and are able to persuade connections within the government for help with their concerns. This method gets a lot of criticism because although lobbyist offer their input to government officials on pending laws, they only look at what is favorable for their cause. When trying to make a difference you have to not only reflect on your argument but on the side affects of that argument as
Texas went through a great amount of political change from being dominated by the Democratic Party during the 1960s and 70s, from the Republican Party taking over in the 80s. One of the big reasons for this change was due to the political party’s views. Throughout this essay I will discuss the changes of the political stances in Texas as well as the present day factors that affect America.
The Texas government is an unusually complex institution that is composed of many different levels. Everyone asks, with a constitution like the one Texas has, can people really trust the government? The main reasons why people might not be trusting of the government are that they might believe that the officials take advantage of their power, or want to try to control them. The Texas legislature is also subject to checks and balances in the three branch system. For example, the governor 's power to veto bills, which is rarely overridden, and to call special sessions; while the court has the power of judicial review. In Texas, the Constitution divides the powers
The assumption of citizens having power in the political process is correct to a certain extent. Citizens do gain power in the political process by participating, but it must be done in the masses to be successful in getting what they want. Individually, the people have very little say on what goes on, however, every person 's vote counts and will make some difference in the outcome. If every person participated in the political process, they would have more power towards electing political officials, choosing what laws are passed, and they also have the ability to get public issues noticed when they feel they are being neglected. On the other hand, even if every person in the country voted, there is still that possibility that the people could be ignored due to a bigger and louder voice known as the wealthy. The people who have most of the power to affect the political process are the few people in the world that hold most of the wealth. These people have the ability to convince congressional representatives to vote against a certain law that is not in favor of the wealthy. They do this by supporting the political officials financially by donating money for their campaigns. Overall, citizens do have some power in the political process and have the ability to force the politicians to hear their opinions, but there is always the chance that the wealthy can overrule the people 's vote with the power of their
...oice their concerns and complaints with their government in the form of a representative body.
South University Online. (2013). POL2076: American Government: Week 4: People and Politics—Interest Groups. Retrieved from http://myeclassonline.com
Democracy is rule by the people; the people elect governing officials based off of their personal values and beliefs. Different political parties rule the political scene and are serving to represent the people’s opinions in the best ways possible. Previously, I had a belief that my political view was essentially the only one possible and therefore it was the best. These views changed quickly once I learned the different political parties, their views, how they represent the people’s views, and how public opinion shapes politics. The government is formed around differentiating opinions on which policies should be in place and which social aspects need to be considered first. Not only is the government guided by opinion, but the people’s lives are guided by opinion as well. Each individual holds a different view, and each view can have an influence on society. Fortunately, after roughly eight weeks of studying American Government, I now have a better sense of complexity and the value of
Democrats, Republicans, and Libertarians are perhaps three of the most prominent political parties within Texas. Within the pages of their party platforms, we see that each possesses a unique philosophy, with specific viewpoints and recommendations for shaping or reforming government policy. To be sure, the people of Texas face many challenges, two of the most compelling issues being the crisis in healthcare and in education. Not only are we lacking in these areas as Texans, but also on the national level. The parties’ stance on these two major issues defines them, giving us insight into the mind and intentions of each.
The National Rifle Association (NRA), recognized today as a major political force and as America's foremost defender of the Second Amendment, “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a Free State the Right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” The NRA adheres to the belief that the Second Amendment guarantees the right of individuals to bear arms. Recent U.S. Supreme Court cases have confirmed those beliefs. In spite of whether one personally adheres to these interpretations of the amendment or not, the fact is there are over two hundred million guns in this country. Moreover, there are over seventy-five million firearm owners. In addition to the NRA’s political activity for second amendment rights, it has fulfilled a service, as since its inception, it had been the premier firearms education organization in the world by providing firearms safety and training.
Lobbyist is a person who involves in the process of law making and interest group are a large sum of people supporting or helping a party to win. Reading to the first link that professor has mentioned on blackboard, it is clear that the amount used for various purposes are being used overly rather than on anything that is worth spending. The chart shown on the article shows the maximum amount being used for nothing that important. It is considerable that everybody needs to have entertainment and fun but it should be at certain level. According to the chart, it’s better to have certain restriction on lobbyist and interest groups in order to use the country’s budget properly.
Like political parties, pressure groups can be considered another system that connects the citizen more directly to government. However, at the same instant there are marked differences in both composition and function that define interest groups as different entities from larger political parties. According to V.O. Key Jr. in a composition appropriately entitled Pressure Groups; pressure groups “Ordinarily… concern themselves with only a narrow range of policies;” and unlike the goals of political parties, their intentions are to “influence the content of public policy rather than the results of elections.” Nevertheless, it is a realized fact that special interest groups with a mass membership are considered to be congregations with enough power to affect election results and “pressure party leaders, legislators, and others in official position to act in accord with their wishes…”
The theme of this specific TED talk can be categorized as inspirational and persuasive. This talk exposed how a slice of wealthy Americans has managed to take political control over the our voices with the money and time they fund to bring their parties back in power. It was a pleasant and inspirational talk about how we as Americans have the ability to change how politics work. We have the power to bring politics back in the hands of the majority of the citizens.
Far too many people think not, and they sell themselves far too short. A wave of despair leads capable people to underestimate the power of their voice and the strength of their ideals. The truth is, it is the initiatives of deeply caring people that provide the firmament for our democracy.
As an individual, people think one vote will not make a difference, but the truth is it will. When your vote combines with other voters who share the same views it become...
In our government we all have a voice. We all control our government. Aristotle showed us how great a democracy can work. If we reason and compromise with each other we can have a healthy government, healthy lives, and more leisure to reflect and examine our lives. This is what the founding fathers believed when making the constitution. If we participate with our government and reason with it. If we do not we are just as good as a