Interest groups are groups that are protected under the 1st amendment giving people the opportunity to get together peaceably and petition or express their different opinions to the government or group representatives. There are more than one hundred thousand interest groups. Interest groups are created for many different reasons but often they are the result of a major controversial event that happens in society. When a major social movement happens like the “Black Lives Matter” movement caused by police brutality towards African American individuals, it sparks groups of people who get together to make changes in our political, economic, or social systems. These groups become Interest Groups because they are involved in making a change to …show more content…
There are many different types of incentives interest groups provide to their members. Some members join due to the solidary incentives, people want to feel like they belong, they want companionship and to be around people who feel the same way they do on specific topics. Material Incentives is another reason many people join interest groups. Some of these groups I had no idea were involved in politics at all like the AARP. This group provide discounts to their members. My father is a member of the AARP group and gets many discounts while traveling for work. Almost every hotel chain offers a AARP discount. AARP stands for American Association of Retired Persons; they work to help form laws in the interest of retired and elderly people. AAA is also a household name that many do not know is an interest group. I personally have AAA and thought that is was only a business that helps you if your car breaks down. Through reading my textbook I have come to find out this interest group helps with laws that directly affect drivers in our society. AAA also provides its members with a variety of discounts when obtaining a membership. I was able to get a discount …show more content…
While surfing their websites I noticed that they have very evident incentives to join their group. The NRA also known as the National Rifle Assn is currently offering a FREE heavy-duty NRA duffel bag, insurance for you and your guns, your choice of NRA magazines, as well as special invitations to “Friends of NRA” dinners and events if you join their group. People love free stuff so this defiantly helps push people to join if they were unsure. Another interest group that provides an incentive to join their group is the Safari Club. On their website they provide you a $200.00 “gift” certificate to Boyt Harness, a popular website for hunting goods when joining the Safari Club. Both of these pro-gun groups are contributing large amounts of money to the republican presidential campaign. These groups use our political, economic, and social systems to “protect” the second amendment. These groups pay big bucks to help fund the Republican Candidate who is running for president because he is for gun rights. Due to the size and financial resources these groups hold gives them power. The gun lobby has a strong influence on congress and the decision making when it comes to gun laws or clauses in gun laws. I personally feel that interest groups should not be able to fund any individual that is running for president because if they do become elected they may feel like they need to push laws or ideas to “pay them back” for their support.
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
Special interest groups are organizations that try to protect the values, and rights of a specific demographic, minority, or political party. The NARAL or National Abortion Rights Action League is one such organization. They have been in existence since 1969, and are the oldest abortion rights group in the United States.
The past few years, I’ve taken an interest into our constitution. As a result of this interest, I would at times sift through interesting Supreme Court cases. Tinker v. Des Moines and Johnson v. Texas would, to some, conflict with cases like Schenck v. United States. The line drawn on the issue of free speech to others may be blurry, but to me, it has always been crystal clear. So when Super PACs, Political Action Committees that can donate unlimited funds to an independent cause, arose, I concurred with the Supreme Court’s decision to protect free speech. To most it seems, Super PACs are just evil PACs, and they, unlike regular PACs, ruin elections. They really only differ by their method, however, when discussing the movement of money. Super PACs are run “independently”, and PACs are usually partisan.
Interest groups, lobbyists, large corporations, and PACs try to influence the congressional committees' bills so they can have a say in the legislative process. When an interest group hears about a bill that is being debated on in a committee, they try to influence a members vote and they try to get a part of the bill changed. For example, a lobbyist came to me on a bill I proposed on making health care plans have no minimum requirement on benefits the company gives to its patients. He told me about how he did not get the right treatments and tests done on diseases he has and now is suffering badly from them. It was because the health plan did not have to give him anything extra. He changed my mind on the bill, and I changed the bill to setting a minimum standard on benefits given to patients.
An interest group is any organization that seeks to influence public policy. Interest groups are found in many societies, America being no exception. Theodore Lowi, Political Science Professor at Cornell University, explores the effects interest groups, or liberal pluralism, has had and will continue to have on politics in the United States. Lowi authored the work in the late 20th century but his arguments are still plausible today. The work is split into four parts, beginning with the origins and background on liberalism in the Unites States, then moving into issues with liberal governments, and lastly the book deals with other government systems beyond liberalism. Lowi himself describes his work as a textbook inquiry into the character of
The best known of the Pro-Gun Lobby is the NRA, headed by Charlton Heston and Wayne LaPierre. The Anti-Gun Lobby includes such organizations as Handgun Control, Inc., The Violence Policy Center, and the ACLU, and is commonly associated with such figures as Sarah Brady. It is doubtful that anyone would dispute that reducing violent crime is a good thing. Most pro-gun lobbyists will concede that guns are used in violent crimes, and that guns act as an enabler for criminals. It is impossible to deny that mass shootings could not be carried out without guns.
We elect politicians on the basis on the issues by which they stand, and these issues are either held up or weakened by the numerous interest groups that exist today. Interest groups target both major and minor issues, using all of their resources to sponsor or overpower the groups’ concern. Interest groups are composed of a limited range of the body of voters who have a great stake in the issues their group support. They make evident the issues their group supports. Their resources are used in an attempt to make their issue public policy. Interest groups are persistent; they do not give up until they succeed. They lobby congress, take legal action, and attempt to influence election results in order to benefit their cause. ”The AARP monitors local and national legislation of interest to its members.”1 The AARP, an example of a non-PAC interest group, focus their efforts to electioneering and media. They influence the elections through their voter guides, election forums and the large senior voting population. Through television, radio, and periodicals the AARP is able to achieve many of their goals to aid retired persons.
These pluralistic interest groups are free to operate and lobby in the political arena, fighting against the majority and other competing factions for voice in Congress. With the influence of multiple factions operating throughout the political system, a balance of power is created (Kernell 2000, 429). This is much like the international theory of sovereign states balancing each other’s power to create a political system that focuses on stability, yet is always in a constant flux of power. With this in mind, special interest groups are constantly contending for power by raising money, campaigning, and lobbying in Congress. When a special interest group is threatened by a competing policy, the group will organize efforts to balance, or transcend the power of the competing group.
Political Action Committees (PACS) are interest groups that help raise money. They do this on a voluntary basis so they can help the candidate in which they favor. PACS tend to contribute more to incumbents. There are three different types of money that is contributed to elections. There is interested money. This money comes from individuals or groups and is used to influence the result of an election. There is also soft money. It is an unlimited amount of money that is raised by political parties. Lastly, there is hard money. It is limited and fully disclosed (Trautman, 2013).
The Human Rights Campaign is the largest gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender advocacy group in the nation. With over 400,000 members, the group is able to lobby very effectively in Washington and has an impressive legislative record. The HRC began in 1980 as a fund to raise money for gay-supportive congressional candidates. It was meant to be a response to the successful right-wing groups at the time, including the National Conservative Political Action Committee and Moral Majority. By 1984, the Human Rights Campaign Fund was effectively supporting congressional candidates, raising over 475,000 dollars. By 1990, the HRC had a membership of 25 thousand, and was organizing marches in the capitol. Between 1990 and the present, the Campaign grew to it’s current size nearing half of a million members, and the group’s PAC contributed over 5 million dollars to lobbying efforts. These efforts focus on four issues: First, it lobbies to increase efforts to fight HIV/AIDS. Secondly, the HRC aims to use federal legislation and workplace advocacy to combat discrimination in the workplace. Third, an effort is made to pass legislation against anti-gay hate crimes. Lastly, the Campaign works to pass legislation addressing lesbian health issues.
Since the NRA’s was charter in 1871 for the promotion and encouragement of rifle shooting on a scientific basis, the organization has grown to over four million members. The organization describes itself as non-profit and non-partisan. However, it has more Republican members than Democrat members. Although it will endorse candidates from either party as long as the candidate supports its pro=gun position. Its stated position is for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection of hunting and self-defense.
...or. I think the influence money has on our government is disgusting. Basically insinuating that money is the key to everything in life, plus how it can dictate how I live is very disturbing at the least. Simply put, a democracy runs on the vote of the people, not how deep a politician 's pocket can be. If this group or any group for the matter wasn 't allowed to lobby I think that would solve any problem with a backlog on the docket, and would speed up the law making process because there would be no one except the people 's vote in the way of a bill. Money would play a significantly less part in our government which is ideal. This would also take out the possibly of the economic elite taking advantage over the people. BCPGV is a very transparent organizations with no harmful intentions for the people, it just wants to make America safe again, one gun bill at a time.
On top of interest groups can fight against policies that they don’t approve of. This all causes policy gridlock within our government, PAC’s have the power to turn senators against their party’s agenda due to money, they can cause policies to get delayed or terminated from weak party disciplines. There are issues right now such as the gun control issue that I mentioned, you can bet that the NRA is funding the move against the democrats trying to get gun control this has caused a policy gridlock, Democrats want control but a Republican congress will not let that happen.. Another example could
Interest group has its own objective and policy. They are related with politics in such that to pass the bill the government has played an important role. For run and exist of interest groups, there is necessary of support of government and citizen of that country. Members of the interest groups are the major’s powers of groups. They can have influenced and added many members by bringing the different programs and campaign in state level. People are very much aware of interest group nowadays. Interest groups are never up than the individual citizen because citizens are very much powerful in that groups. They can remove the interest group if there is start to politics in between the groups. They are organization to listen the voice and make decision in state level and make the law with lobbing with congress. They spend some money to lobbying with congress while passing the
The NRA is an organization that fights against gun control. The NRA also stands for the National Rifle Association. The NRA does support the right to bear arms but they do not want people to use guns without caution. The history of this organization is huge, they were started in 1871. The NRA is also a nonprofit organization. The NRA fights against gun control in many ways but they usually just go to court to settle these debates. The NRA has held protest that are peaceful. The NRA has said that these debates are far from over. President Obama has also said the same thing. Both of these comments have to be taken into consideration when you decide who will win this issue.