Interest groups, also known as pressure groups or special interest groups, are associations made up of organizations or individuals that are formally organized based on a shared concern. These interest groups share a determination to affect government policies to benefit their cause. They attempt to achieve their goals by lobbying. One specific interest group is the National Rifle Association and their goal is to protect the Second Amendment. Union veterans Colonel William C. Church and General George Wingate formed the National Rifle Association in 1871 (146 years ago) because they were appalled by the lack of marksmanship that was shown by their troops. According to a magazine editorial written by William Church, the primary goal was to “promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis”. In 1872, New …show more content…
Constitution”. This group is mainly conservative because of its focus to preserve and limit the change of the Second Amendment, although in the past the NRA would’ve considered more liberal because it did support the National Firearms Act of 1934 which regulated and taxed “machine guns, destructive devices, and certain other firearms” (NFA) and the Gun Control Act of 1968 which regulates the interstate commerce of firearms except by those who are licensed (GCA). In 2016, the NRA mainly supported Republican Congressional Candidates with $821,350 and scarcely supported Democrats with $10,550 and for 2017 their lobbying expenditures for Gun Rights is at a total of $4,130,000. The Institute for legislative action urges people to act by writing their Federal and State Lawmakers to let them know where we stand on certain issues pertaining to the Second