Money and Democracy’s Dilemma
Americans hold sacred their freedom over all else and many have fought fervently to protect it even to their own death. Yet our freedom and our protected rights are at odds with the power and influence of money at all levels of government; none more obvious than those in Washington. It is precisely this freedom that makes the concept of interest groups and lobbyists a part of our democracy’s dilemma. In “The Interest Group Society,” Jeffrey M. Berry and Clyde Wilcox state:
The dilemma is this: If government does not allow people to pursue their self-interest, it takes away their political freedom…although the alternative- permitting people to advocate whatever they want- is far more preferable, it also carries dangers. In a system such as ours, interest groups constantly push government to enact policies that benefit small constituencies at the expense of the general public. (2)
In essence, this paradox lies at the core of our political system. “In an open and free society in which people have the right to express their political views, petition their government, and organize on behalf of causes, some segments of the population are likely to pursue their own selfish interests” (Berry and Wilcox, 2). Hence, if we do not allow interest groups to promote their own self- interests, we are removing a freedom, yet if we continue on our current path we will no longer be a democracy but a corrupt society ruled by money.
Of course, lobbying can be corrupt, nefarious, even disgusting…but lobbying can also express one of Americans’ fundamental rights…to petition for the redress of grievances-to make a formal complaint about a perceived injustice committed by king or governors, and demand action to correc...
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...x. The Interest Group Society. New York: Pearson Longman,
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Kaiser, Robert G. So Damn Much Money: The Triumph of Lobbying and the Corrosion of
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Lewis, Charles, and the Center for Public Integrity. The Buying of Congress: How Special
Interests Have Stolen your Right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. New
York: First Avon Books, 1998. Print.
Nownes, Anthony J. Total Lobbying: What Lobbyists Want (and How They Try to Get it). New
York: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Print.
Stahl, Leslie. Interview with Jack Abramoff. “Jack Abramoff: The Lobbyist’s Playbook.” 60
Minutes. CBS. 6 Nov. 2011. Television
West, Darrell M., and Burdett A. Loomis. The Sound of Money: How Political Interests Get
What They Want. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc., 1999. Print.
Political Interest Groups take to activities such as political action, provision of materials, exchange of information, and Cooperation. Any form of political action is the most direct method, they can force from voting and campaign to influence of the selection and action of political authorities. Provisioning of material resources provide greats to political actors, this way is illegal depending on the greats and services offered to the political personnel for a desired outcome. Information exchange is also used by private groups for those in the political system helping obtain special information they probably couldn’t receive on their own. Cooperation plays a major role with interest groups and the political system. Policies are more acceptable to the affected group if they ap...
The current use of soft money in the US Governmental elections is phenomenal. The majority of candidates funding comes from soft money donations. Congress has attempted to close these funding loop holes; however they have had little success. Soft money violates standards set by congress by utilizing the loop hole found in the Federal Election Commission’s laws of Federal Campaigns. This practice of campaign funding should be eliminated from all governmental elections.
Hamilton provides an inside look at how congress really works and clears up popular misconception that make members of congress look like wasteful bickering crooks that support gridlock and are only concerned with the needs of interest groups and lobbyists. Hamilton argues that Congress has changed for the better throughout the years and that they are held at higher standards than they were before. Hamilton states that Congress is not only working at keeping the public happy but that have recently become faced with a lot more issues than before, they are not only more issues but more complicated and technical that are very high risk policies that take a long time to produce a decision (Hamilton, 1988, 65). Hamilton states that Congress is a system in which the viewpoints of everyone are taken into account and make sure there is a consensus when it comes to defining decisions. Even though many of us acknowledge that lobbyist and special interest groups play an essential role in the law making party, Congress is making an effort to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard. Congress is making sure that the balance of power is distributed properly. In recent years, there has been a decline in mega-lobbies and interest groups so that not only the wealthy powerful get their voice heard, but the everyday american people get an opinion in things that affect them as well. In Gary Lee’s article, The NRA Has Lost some Firepower, we can see that interest groups are beginning to have less of an influence on larger political decisions (Hamilton, 1988, 65). For example, the National Rifle Association’s defeat in the battle over the “Brady bill” and their war towards trying to revamp Medicaid was a great loss for lobbyists and
The dangers of faction can somewhat outweigh the good. The framers of the American Constitution feared the power that could possibly come about by organized interest groups. Madison wrote "The public good is disregarded in the conflict of rival factions citizens who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community." However, the framers believed that interest groups thrived because of freedom, the same privilege that Americans utilize to express their views. Madison saw direct democracy as a danger to individual rights and advocated a representative democracy to protect individual liberty, and the general public from the effects of such inequality in society. Madison says "A pure democracy can admit no cure for the mischief's of faction. A common passion or interest will be felt by a majority Hence it is, that democracies have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have, in general, been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths."
xiii). Since the 1960s, when Lowi authored this text because he believed we were in a state of political crisis, interest groups have grown exponentially. This is due to growth in broad economic developments and growth and specific interests of citizens willing to take an active role in political processes. Interest group ideology has thrived on inadequate planning and overextension. Effective government requires formalities and moral legitimacy. Lowi argues that as long as well-moneyed interests do not grow to exercise an unjustly disproportionate amount of political capitol, interest groups should be welcomed in American politics as a means by which the average citizen can enjoy a greater amount of political efficacy. Lowi points out that nearly every area of government activity currently bears little relevance to the actual conditions they were designed for, and he calls for a return to older government that had consequences and held us responsible for consequences of political decisions because the current system does nothing to aid those who need government support the most, those one welfare and involved in those programs. Instead it is a power-grabbing money pool open for interest groups to take a hold of it,
... contribute, and therefore are left out, pushed aside by the rich, who can rule. This nation is not the democracy Aristotle speaks, but rather an oligarchy very similar to Sparta.
We elect politicians on the basis on the issues by which they stand, and these issues are either held up or weakened by the numerous interest groups that exist today. Interest groups target both major and minor issues, using all of their resources to sponsor or overpower the groups’ concern. Interest groups are composed of a limited range of the body of voters who have a great stake in the issues their group support. They make evident the issues their group supports. Their resources are used in an attempt to make their issue public policy. Interest groups are persistent; they do not give up until they succeed. They lobby congress, take legal action, and attempt to influence election results in order to benefit their cause. ”The AARP monitors local and national legislation of interest to its members.”1 The AARP, an example of a non-PAC interest group, focus their efforts to electioneering and media. They influence the elections through their voter guides, election forums and the large senior voting population. Through television, radio, and periodicals the AARP is able to achieve many of their goals to aid retired persons.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the Legislative Process and Healthcare Lobbying in the United States of America. Before a law is passed and implemented in America under both state and federal level, it has to go often time through a very lengthy legislative process except in the case of an executive order. And, without the skills and expertise of the lobbying strategies, the idea which might intended to become law may not even make it to the level of a bill not to mention the chance of it to become law. It is important for us as nurses, to understand the legislative process and become very familiar with the lobbying process and take early and prompt action to defend our interests and help prevent any negative impact that any idea or bill that may become law may have on the nursing profession.
Along with Obama, Vogel mentions Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid as critics of large donors, who then also were leading in super PAC fundraisers. Though Vogel mentions many people and events, he never goes into great detail about any of it. Even with the immense amount of information that is left to the reader to decipher and research, one must ask themselves this question, “what are the effects of big money on modern politics.”
In today’s politics, interest groups play a large role in the government system. An interest Group is defined as 'an organized body of individuals who try to influence public policy.' This system is designed so that interest groups would be an instrument of public influence on politics to create changes, but would not threaten the government much. These organizations are either made up of people who represent a different organization or people who represent themselves. Interest groups represent the citizens’ interests and views, while expressing their own needs as well. They are the link between people and politics, giving a way for the public to voice their opinions. Members of interest groups use different tactics to basically impose their wants or needs onto the government by lobbying, educating, and campaigning.
Essentially, interest groups use many different tactics to accomplish their central goals but this paper will detail 2 of them. The first being lobbying, which is the act of persuading businesses as well as government leaders to help a specific organization by changing laws or creating events in favor of that group. Interest groups use this technique by hiring someone to represent them and advocate their cause to on the behalf of the entire group. These hired representatives usually have more than enough experience within the political field and are able to persuade connections within the government for help with their concerns. This method gets a lot of criticism because although lobbyist offer their input to government officials on pending laws, they only look at what is favorable for their cause. When trying to make a difference you have to not only reflect on your argument but on the side affects of that argument as
The “advocacy explosion” in the United States in the 20th century has been caused by the extreme increase in the number of interest groups in the United States. The general public views the increase and the groups themselves as a cancer that has come to the body of American politics and is spreading. The explosion in the number of interest groups and interest group members and finances has had an effect on the decline of the American political party and partisanship, the effect on democracy and the public interest, and the bias that has come with interest group competition.
Lobbying involves more than persuading legislators. Professional lobbyists investigate and examine legislation or dogmatic proposals, are present at congressional hearings, and teach government officials and company officers on imperative issues. Lobbyists in addition work to transform public opinion all the way through advertising campaigns or by control 'opinion leaders'. There are approximately 30,000 recorded lobbyists, other than that does not comprise the public relations experts, marketers, support personnel pollsters, and others who support their work. The majority lobbyists are hard–working professionals who comprehend how to find the way the political process, gain access to lawmakers and main executive–branch officials, and construct a strategy to accomplish their legislative objective. Whether or not you like the renowned place they engage in our system, lobbyists have turn out to be such an essential part of...
These pluralistic interest groups are free to operate and lobby in the political arena, fighting against the majority and other competing factions for voice in Congress. With the influence of multiple factions operating throughout the political system, a balance of power is created (Kernell 2000, 429). This is much like the international theory of sovereign states balancing each other’s power to create a political system that focuses on stability, yet is always in a constant flux of power. With this in mind, special interest groups are constantly contending for power by raising money, campaigning, and lobbying in Congress. When a special interest group is threatened by a competing policy, the group will organize efforts to balance, or transcend the power of the competing group.
“ (Christiano) This is a point that is closely related to the previous point. As the political machine rolls on and becomes larger and more powerful, citizens become hopeless to changing the status quo. In the best of situations, an individual has a hard time accounting for small actions making a big difference. In Texas, many districts have only one party to vote for, so there is no chance for your vote to make a difference if you are of the opposing party. “I 'm definitely not super political and I know I 'm sitting in a red state that 's probably going to stay red for a long time," says Harrison, who leans left. But I still want my vote to count." (qtd. Schleifer) This lack of individual power is the reason for interest group pluralism. The group empowers people that might not otherwise be able to make change. In a perfect world these groups would debate, initiate conversations and compromise to support candidates that would stimulate potential voters. I think what has happened is that the people naturally attuned to running large organizations have found a structure in politics that suits their skill set. They have made the individual vote less powerful and the ordinary person has to overcome psychological barriers to voting along with the institutionalized barriers to