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The Pros And Cons Of Special Interest Groups

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According to estimates, including one from Dr Harold Pease of Taft College, “Today there are between 9 and 15 thousand lobbyists working on Capitol Hill seeking ever-larger portions of the tax pie for their faction. Purchased politicians can’t say no.” (Pease) This relatively simple statement is, at the same time, a stark warning that interest groups have ever-growing influence on our government and, subsequently, our democracy. Interest groups have been around politics ever since founding fathers drafted the Constitution. Only then, they were called factions, but were, nonetheless, looked upon by the drafters of founding documents with a healthy dose of skepticism. They too saw the danger in special interest groups, still were unable to outlaw …show more content…

These groups are very powerful and often deemed by critics as having undue influence. They put pressure on policymakers by lobbying them and, also, helping finance their re-election campaigns. The whole process works both ways as politicians get financial backing from special interests and, in return, they vote according to desires from those groups. In some cases, lobbyists are even involved in procedure of drafting the particular legislations. This, by extension, seriously erodes our democracy since members of Congress work and act more on behalf of special interests than on behalf of citizens that sent them to Washington in the first place. The anger and dissatisfaction with what is happening in our capital has been brewing for years and it, clearly, culminated in this current presidential election …show more content…

Presenting itself as the protector of the Second Amendment and not as a representative of gun making industry, NRA is drawing its influence from a massive membership and money collected from dues and, yes, corporate sponsors, for example, gun makers. Yet, the biggest boost NRA constantly can and does count on is the passion firearm owners have for their guns and rights. Walter Hickey wrote an article in Business Insider in 2012, describing NRA:” Because the NRA is simultaneously a lobbying firm, a campaign operation, a popular social club, a generous benefactor and an industry group, the group is a juggernaut of influence in Washington.” (Hickey, 2012) According to the same source, NRA spent that same year well over $7 million on 66 different candidates, and their PAC added another $9.5

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Lee H. Hamilton, a former congressman in the House of Representatives, wrote, The Case for Congress, to share some of the criticisms he has heard over the years and to explain the effects of such opinions. Hamilton speaks of three main criticisms: “Congress is run by lobbyists and special interests”, “Congress almost seems to promote total gridlock”, and “There’s too much money in Politics” (Hamilton 2004). For each of these criticisms, Hamilton explains these thoughts and his opinion on the matter. The strongest point of Hamilton’s argument was in defending the lobbyists in Congress. Hamilton (2004) said the public opinion of lobbyists is that “Congress is manipulated by powerful wheel-dealers who put pressure on legislators and buy votes through extensive campaigns and other favors” (p. 83).

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NRA has supported laws since 1934 such as the National Firearms Act, Federal Firearms Act, Gun Control Act, Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, and Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act. I personally support the NRA because they make sure that my right to bear arms in the constitution are protected. I carry everywhere I go because you never know what some idiot is thinking about doing and I feel the need to protect my family no matter what it takes. Observers and lawmakers see the NRA as one of the top three most influential lobbying groups in Washington, DC. After 1977, the organization expanded its membership by focusing heavily on political issues and forming coalitions with conservative politicians, most of them being

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They can help politicians with political strategy for getting legislation through. Lobbyists are politically savvy people, and they can offend be useful consultants. 3. They can help formulate campaign strategy and get the group ’s members behind a politician’s reelection campaign.

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This use of PACs and money in campaigns undermines Madison’s ideas about limiting the effects of faction, and therefore a new solution needs to be found in order to ensure fairness and proper distribution of power among interest groups in present day

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A political interest group also called an advocacy group, lobbying group, pressure group, or special interest group is determined to persuade or prevent changes in public policy. They have shared ideas and try to influence change in policy. The American political system no longer operates with the American people in mind. Instead, lobbyists and special interest groups govern America, according to their own agendas, not the wishes of the people. Lobbyists and special interest groups buy up support from elected officials in order to push their agendas through.

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This essay will discuss the impact of lobbyist on legislation in Washington, DC and the amount of dollars spent to influence federal policies. Throughout a normal day in Washington DC, the hustle and bustle of lobbyist is taking place in the Capital building, White House and along K Street, which is the home of many of the lobbying firms. There are special interest groups, corporations and industries that hire in-house lobbyist or lobbyist firms to influence legislation to benefit their cause. For example, some of these causes may include, but are not limited to tax breaks, subsidies and changes to current regulations or laws.

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Out of all of the political relationships between individuals which exist in the American political system, one of the most critical is that which exists between the lobbyist and legislator. To the average citizen, the foundation of America’s political process centers on the understanding, examination, and transfer of influence between politicians and representatives of public or private special interest groups. (Patterson, 2009) What is unseen by the average citizen is the multibillion dollar political industry developed by lobbyists for the benefit and information exchange on their special interests at the federal, state, county, municipal, and even local levels of government. The allure of lobbying at the federal level is because federal

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Because interest groups are protected by the First Amendment, they cannot be outlawed. However, their activities--particularly lobbying and making financial contributions--can be regulated. The 1973 Lobby Regulation Act, amended in 1983, is much more effective than two earlier attempts at regulating interest groups, one in 1907 and the other in 1957. In spite of its more stringent provisions, the total number of persons lobbying is much higher than the fifteen hundred groups and persons who annually register. The rise of bureaucracy requires interest groups to influence key points in government.

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Jet Paronable Ap Gov p3 Government Both interest groups and political parties share similar qualities and make a crucial impact in American politics today, yet both bodies drastically contrast from each other. For instance, an interest group is defined as an organization of people with similar policies and who's goal is to influence every branch of government through a political process while a political party is defined as a group who seeks to control government through the winning of elections and the holding of public offices. Interest groups also differentiate from political parties because there are several of interest groups. Another factor that separates interest groups and political parties is that interest groups are policy specialists,

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As much as we know how they are a big part of our political system, Interest groups only keep self-interest in their minds. They don’t want such a huge change to take place among the people of America because it won’t benefit them in any way. What I have learned about American politics is that interest groups take a very big role in our political system.

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Interest groups in the United States have the primary task of influencing government policy, and do so in two significant ways: supporting the election of candidates who hold similar views on policy, and lobbying bureaucrats and elected officials. For the most part, interest groups require funding in order to effectively support the election of candidates, and certainly in order to effectively lobby. The concern that has been raised about interest groups is valid; people are concerned that the well funded interest groups, particularly those funded by private corporations and wealthy individuals, will lobby for legislation that serves a select few. The question, therefore, is whether to impose more restrictions on interest groups than those which currently exist. While it is true that millions of dollars are spent by interest groups on lobbying policy making officials, the majority of this money is spent on hiring lobbyists, producing data, and paying staff, and not on persuading congressmen with elaborate gifts.

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