Intro to Politics & Government
April 27 2012
Political Interest Groups Influences and Motives in the United States
Interest groups are individuals who organize themselves to be influential on governmental programs and policies. In America there are many interest groups and lobby organizations that operate throughout the country. Some interest groups are more powerful than others and they clearly display the extent and power of the first amendment and the freedom to enjoy the right to organize and express views. Currently in today’s political climate the United States are clearly in favor of pluralism. The Supreme Court ruling on Citizens United v Fec 2010 displays the theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government without many restrictions or limitations. Some of the significances in interest groups are their motives and ability to radicalize and/or revolutionize an issue. Interest groups specifically concern themselves with policies and laws of the government which we’ve seen some instances throughout American history to be world changing. Government programs are also a big concern for interest groups because they want to know if they would be affected or not. Some interest groups have been extremely influential on all branches of government and some groups have protected and advocated rights that are important in American culture. The effects interest groups have on society can be negative or positive and can directly or indirectly affect society as a whole as well as individuals.
Specific interest groups have helped shaped American culture into what it is today. Dealing with racial issues, such groups like the Pennsylvania Abolish society dates back to the 1700’s who was in favor of abolishing slavery. The Suffragettes was a political interest group that was pro women’s voting rights in the United Kingdom which spread onto many nations thereafter. The Civil Rights Movement was composed of many interest groups that aimed to get equal rights for African Americans and end all segregation and Jim Crow laws. Also, described in “We the People”, the NAACP has been an influential interest group specifically because they used the courts dating back to Brown v. Board of Ed. Without these interest groups radical movements would not have taken place which inevitably benefited all citizens and races in the United States. Today America has its first African-American president, women are more powerful and dominant than they’ve ever been and apparently we are living in a “post-racial” America. Interest groups and lobby organizations can’t solely take full responsibility for making all of those things happen but they have helped influence many of those movements.
Extremism can be an issue in interest groups. Specifically the National Rifle Association has been in favor of some extreme laws in favor of the second amendment as they are non-profit 501 (c) lobby group that promotes firearm ownership, marksmanship, and the protection of hunting and self defense. “The NRA has systematically manipulated Congress and many State Legislatures into adopting dangerous gun policies, allowing virtually unrestricted and undetectable access to powerful firearms by criminals including gang members, convicted felons, and terrorists.” (Rosenthal, 2) The NRA is indisputably one of the most powerful lobbying groups in America, surrounded by much support and controversy. It was formed in 1871 and had member in high profiles, including some presidents of the United States. They have influenced a number of cases such as NRA v. Mayor Ray Nagin, NRA v. Chicago, McDonald v. City of Chicago, among others which has basically kept guns on the streets and in the homes of civilians with as little restriction as possible.
Recently notable cases showing the effects of the extremely lacked gun laws are former representative Gabby Giffords and slain victim Trayvon Martin. These are people who were directly affected by the troubling gun laws in America. “NRA opposed a federal ban on military style assault weapons and high capacity ammunition clips used to shoot Rep. Gabby Giffords and those used at most school shootings … even opposed a ban on .50 caliber sniper rifles capable of disabling an armored vehicle, an airplane or a helicopter at distances of over a mile.” (Rosenthal 2) Not many people can understand the rationale behind why a civilian would need such a weapon for sport or defense. The Trayvon Martin case has sparked new interest groups and charities that focus on opposing the NRA and gun laws that allowed this unfortunate young boy to be shot and killed while en route to his family members’ house because a self appointed neighborhood watchman felt suspicious, falling under the Stand Your Ground law in the state of Florida. There have been equal interest groups and growing support for the NRA as a result to this case.
NORML is a non-profit organization group that stands for National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana laws. This interest group has been established since 1970 and currently operates out of Washington. They too are surrounded with support and controversy. NORML’s primary focus is on legalization and decriminalization of marijuana on a federal and local level. Most recently they’ve sent a petition to President Barack Obama requesting that a “Drug Czar” be appointed who will treat drug abuse as a health issue rather than a criminal issue and will move end a “War on Drugs”. NORML’s goal for this petition is 100,000 signatures. NORML does receive benefits and incentives as most interest and lobbying groups do, one being, tax exemption. Most of the group’s efforts go into research and educational activities. NORML’s opponents are very strong though and have a lot more motive and incentive to oppose the marijuana legalization movement. Police Unions are on the opposition because they would lose money. Many police unions have become dependent on war on drug grants and they would lose out in a major way. Also the private prison corporations would lose money because they have a large monetary interest in the incarceration of drug crime related offenders. The alcohol and tobacco companies are opposed to any marijuana legalization laws in fear of competition with their own products. The lobbying and interest groups who represent the opposition to NORML spends lots of money advocating for harsher sentences and electing politicians who are pro-war on drugs. (Wikipedia Contributors)
The NRA is a distinct organization in American political culture because nothing outside the U.S. exists like it. The statistics that are directly and indirectly affected by the NRA and the second amendment are quite amazing and alarming. “Over 30,000 Americans die and more than 100,000 are injured every year from largely preventable gun violence.” (Rosenthal 2) Compared to other countries those numbers are disgusting. The United Kingdom has had one of the lowest gun homicide rates in the world. According to the Wikipedia article “Gun Politics in the United Kingdom” it stated: “In 2009 0.7 recorded intentional homicides were committed with a firearm per 100,000 inhabitants.” It is extremely difficult to become a gun owner in the United Kingdom and there isn’t a strong force, or pressure group as they are called, in Britain like the NRA. Solely stating ‘self defense’, is not a good enough reason to obtain a gun in the U.K. either.
Interest groups are important and necessary in American society and politics because it is a representation of American’s freedom to free speech and expression. However there needs to be a balance in the power that some of these groups gain like that of the NRA. It’s difficult to try to regulate and limit these groups in the climate of pluralism and without putting an unconstitutional strain on the first amendment. However, we have yet to see what the outcome will be in this new political arena as it is an election year. The benefits and incentives in interest groups are what are most alarming. The “free-rider” issue is a very serious one. Those who enjoy the benefits and incentives of collective goods but did not participate in acquiring them are free riders. There are a variety of benefits, those being; informational, material, solidary and purposive benefits. Most interest and lobbying groups reap all if not most types of those benefits. The NRA and NORML are just two out of many organizations in the United States influencing policies, bills and court cases. They represent two completely different sets of people that are controversial and difficult to discuss in public political conversations by government officials. While there are many common types of interest groups such as business, agricultural, labor, professional, public interest, ideological, public sector groups and others, they all reach different demographics and represent something of significance. The disadvantage to the influence political interest groups have on governmental policies is how it may take attention off other competing groups like those described with the different opposing channels against NORML . That same example applies to the competition between the NRA and pro-environmental interest groups. “Despite the array of interest groups in American politics, however, we can be sure that not all interests are represented equally nor that the results of this group competition are always consistent with the common good.” (Ginberg, Lowi 405)
~CP
Bibliography
Ginsberg, Benjamin, and Theodore Lowi. We the People An Introduction to American Politics. 8th Essential Edition . 2010. 453. Print.
Rosenthal , John . “Standing Your Ground in the NRA’s America.” Huffington Post . (2012): 6. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-rosenthal/nra-gun-violence
Wikipedia contributors. “National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 19 Mar 2012. Web. 27 Apr 2012.
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