Special Interest Groups and Politics
Interest Groups and Politics
Special interest groups are organizations whose members are organized, mobilized and share specific agendas and objectives (Dincer, 2012). They work to gain favor with politicians and legislative officials in order to influence governmental policy. Interest groups are very common in the United States (Thurber, 2010). They operate very differently from political parties that ultimately try to gain control of the government (Naoi & Krauss, 2009). They use a variety of tactics, including employing lobbyists, to push their interests.
Special interest groups tend to be an outgrowth of periods of transformation in the country (Ben-Bassat, 2011). For instance, in the 1770s special interest groups were basically independence groups who advocated fiercely for liberation from the British. In the 1830s and 1840s, there were many religious and anti-slavery interest groups such as the Quakers. The 1860s saw the rise of craft unions, with business association groups following soon after in the 1880s and 1890s. The modern day version of special interest groups gained prominence in the early 1900s when mass production and cash crops became common. As the American economy and society in general has evolved so to have new interests and special interest groups.
Special interest groups in the United States are active at all levels -- local, state and national. They tend to be very homogeneous groups with clearly defined goals and objectives (Dincer, 2012). Economic interest groups such as business interests, labor organizations and agricultural interests are among the most active and prevalent (Nicholson-Crotty & Nicholson-Crotty, 2004). Their purpose is to influence policy that favors the business community and helps to advance very specific fiscal agendas.
Some interest groups function much like business conglomerates. For example, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) operates with a staff of over 60 representatives from a number of large corporations within the manufacturing industry (Julian, Ofori-Dankwa & Justis, 2008). They focus on issues related to wages, taxes, trade regulations, labor laws and other areas that impact their businesses. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is another example. It is a national organization working on behalf of nearly 4,000 local chambers of commerce across the nation.
Agricultural interest groups serve farmers or agricultural-related businesses. The American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers' Union are examples. Labor interest groups, such as the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations, are primarily concerned with issues related to organized labor such as working conditions and standards, wages, benefits, issues of discrimination, and foreign trade (Thurber, 2010).
Public union groups such as the National Education Association or state and city police, fire, sanitation and school unions represent employees of various governmental entities. Similar to the aforementioned economic interest groups, they are concerned with working conditions, salaries, benefits, and long-term public policy related to these areas. Other categories include professional interest groups that represent individuals with specific credentials, such as the American Bar Association and the American Medical Association. At times, special interest groups may be more grassroots and altruistic in nature such as churches, charities, liberal organizations and social advocacy groups for abused and neglected children, battered women, the elderly or the poor (Julian, Ofori-Dankwa, & Justis, 2008).
Some membership interests tend to be more social in nature. Individuals holding certain religious or civic values are more likely to join these groups as they are guided by ideological perspectives (Dincer, 2012). Many focus on more controversial topics such as gay rights, abortion and the legalization of certain popular drugs. Some may use more blatant and aggressive tactics to advance their agenda such as angry protests, filing lawsuits or engaging in-depth research or studies.
Some interest groups are focused on movements for social justice, social change and various policy reforms (Ben-Bassat, 2011). Mass movements, such as those for civil or women's rights, have resulted in the establishment of organizations. For instance, the National Organization for Women (NOW) exerts pressure on Congress to protect and pass laws that they feel are beneficial to American women. Groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) or Greenpeace are considered public-interest groups -- their mission is to serve and protect others, namely the defenseless and voiceless such as animals or the environment (Ball,...
Special Interests Washington lobbyists, influence, and money are concatenate forces in the current political dynamic. The 2008 election cycle saw Barack Obama spend in excess of 730 million on his run for the Presidency. John McCain was seemingly dwarfed, spending only 333 million" (OpenSecrets.org. N.D. 1). The spending however was only a portion of the 5.2 billion spent nationally in the 2008 election cycles (OpenSecrets.org. N.D. 1). Further, the situation seems
One of Common Cause's most passionate and popular causes is campaign finance reform. Common Cause practices what it preaches -- it is almost entirely funded by the often small, individual donations of its members. It is proud that one of the bills it has been promoting for many years was finally passed with substantial bipartisan support, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, "the most significant campaign reform bill in
The role of interest groups in democracies presents one of the greatest conundrums in civic affairs. On the one hand, interest groups potentially represent collective power and agency. On the other hand, interest groups can easily become hegemonic and even corrupt. The crux of the problem is that some interest groups can become more endowed financially than others, or have unequal access to the social capital needed to wield power.
Washington v. Glucksberg (1997), the Supreme Court ruled that there is no constitutional right to physician-assisted suicide. This ruling presented ethical challenges for the criminal justice system, especially with the high-profile trial of Jack Kevorkian, who was tried for assisting in a patient's suicide. Kevorkian was found guilty in 1999, but since then, social issues and mores have changed, and there is new discussion about what should be viewed
Interest Groups and How Their Influence on Public Policy Interest Groups and their influence on public Policy Interest groups are clusters of people that come into existent to make stresses on government. The leading interest groups that are located in the United States are financial or occupational, but a range of other clusters -- philosophical, public interest, foreign policy, government itself, and ethnic, religious, and cultural -- have memberships that cut across
Interest Groups Describe the different types of interest groups (single issue groups and public interest groups) and the goals that each type pursues. Single-issue interest groups are exactly that: groups concerned with one issue, and one issue only. Although the single interest might overlap with broader issues or related interests, the main goal of a single-interest group is to promote legislation related to the target area. For example, the National Rifle Association
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now