Introduction
Interest groups have always been viewed with suspicion from early times. In the Federalist #10, by Madison (2014), he gave a warning on the functions of these groups. Although he was opposed to the elimination of their roles, he kept the belief that the separation of powers guided by the constitution would help moderate their effect (Zeigler, 2014). These groups come in different sizes and spend lots of money to influence the process of policymaking. Most lobbyists working under these groups were once politicians and have friends who are still in politics. Thus, they have easier access compared to regular citizens (Stromberg, 2015).
Question 1
The two major types of interest groups include the citizens and economic groups. Citizen groups like the National Association for the Advancement of people of colour (NAACP) and the National Organization for Women (NOW) are driven by worthy causes (Sparknotes, 2017). These and other groups like them mainly deal with the people’s moral issues and what is right based on the government’s decisions. Other citizen groups, such as the SierraClubb have single agendas like the preservation of scenic areas.
Figure 1: leaders of the NAACP holding a poster (Source: New York Telegram & Sun, 2016)
However, economic groups have more influence on the government due to financial considerations. Money has a huge influence on capitalist societies. Thus, these groups are more powerful. They are usually well funded because their members contribute willingly in the hopes of getting greater influence on politics and profit from the government (Madison, 2014).
In the last decade, citizen groups have found it easy to find more members and donations from citizens with the help of the internet and its ability to reach many people. Also, the internet has made it easy for some of these groups to organise faster and more efficiently (Habermas, 2016). This was witnessed when the activation of protests in the MoveOn organisation against the Iraq war was taking place. Also, there were various protests staged in the Middle East between 2011 and 2012 meant to for democracy.
Question 2
In the early times, media houses used to be partisan and backed one party for the gain. Sensational journalism had become a big problem because it did not matter whether the story was true or had baseless facts, as long as the paper sold to many people. Printing media evolved to the radio in the 1920s, and an agreement was made that all parties had to be given an equal share of time due to the scarcity of the channels (Sparknotes, 2017). In the 1950s, television became the most used medium for people to express their opinions, and all parties were given equal hearing, as made possible by the fairness doctrine. However, once cable television and FM radio became popular enough, the fairness doctrine became redundant.
Today, the media is considered the gatekeepers of the news received by the people. Every station broadcasts the same news with just a little variation, and with the agenda of the largest population in mind. For instance, when news of corruption in the government starts being often broadcast, people start thinking that it has become worse, yet it has always been there, only that the media is bringing it to the people’s attention more (Madison, 2014). Although media houses say that they are always unbiased in their reporting, they are not always true. This is because they always find news that will back up what they already know or believe.
Question 3
Special interest groups have too much power and influence in politics because they encourage citizens to vote for the politicians who support their views. They significantly influence party platforms and the candidates’ nominations; they contribute campaign money through committees formed for political action (Zeigler, 2014). Therefore, these groups should not be allowed to continue like this because they have so much impact on policy making by the government meant for their selfish interests against the interests of the ordinary citizens. They also appeal to the public for support on a public issue to gain support for their interests. Thus, they use the power of the people for their own gain. Also, when a candidate wants to run for office, they first raise campaign money, but also receive funding from the political action committees (Herman & Chomsky, 2010). These committees can do as much good as harm to the candidates they prefer; thus, when a candidate wants to receive funding, they have to accept almost everything they are asked to do. Nonetheless, when a country lacks these groups, there would be no association to keep the government in check and also fight for the rights of common citizens like the American Association of RetiredPersonsn.
Question 4
An inside lobbyist always has significant contact with those who make decisions in government. They have direct access to important lawmakers and often give them information on policies that serve their group’s interests. Money often flows in this type of lobbying and is meant for the three branches of the government, and also influences members of Congress on bills that are most important to them at the moment (Sparknotes, 2017). These lobbyists always attempt to control the appointment of judges in triangles and networks of exerting their self-interests on lawmakers and their policies.
On the other hand, outside lobbyists use public pressure to exert pressure on policymakers. One big outside lobbyist group is the AARP, which protects the interests of those over 50 years old. Old Any legislation threatening the benefit of those above 50 years is met with enormous pressure from the group through emails, calls, protests, and also visits to their government representatives to influence their decisions (Madison, 2014). Some groups, like the political committee, are regulated under federal law to first register with the federal government and follow the set accounting rules to the latter.
The government made its first major attempt in 1946 to regulate lobbying with the passing of the Lobbying Act. The Act required lobbyists to first register with the House of Representatives clerk and Senate secretary before having any chance to influence legislation. This law applied only to those who tried to control members of Congress (Madison, 2014). Additionally, the Lobbying Disclosure Act was passed in 1995 by Congress and requires the groups to disclose most of their activities and clients.
Conclusion
Today, the government faces a lot of pressure from numerous interest groups and also some media houses that seek to achieve their agenda. These groups practice lobbying inside and outside the government, where they use a lot of money to gain their way through several government officials and policymakers to be part of the policymaking process. Some even seek to influence the appointment of prominent government officials like judges and clerks. Also, the media has had a significant influence on politics in the last few decades; several media houses give out news based on their knowledge and beliefs.
References
Herman, E. S., & Chomsky, N. (2010). Manufacturing consent: The political economy of the mass media. Random House.
Habermas, J. (2016). Political communication in media society: Does democracy still enjoy an epistemic dimension? The impact of normative theory on empirical research. Communication theory, 16(4), 411-426.
Madison, J. (2014). INTEREST GROUPS, POLITICAL PARTIES, MASS MEDIA. Retrieved from.
New York World-Telegram & Sun. (2016). NAACP leaders are holding a poster [Photograph].
Sparks notes. (2017). Interest groups.
Strömberg, D. (2015). Mass media competition, political competition, and public policy. The Review of Economic Studies, 71(1), 265-284.
Zeigler, L. H. (2014). Interest groups in American society. Prentice-Hall.
