Role Of Interest Groups In American Politics

Words: 1098
Pages: 5
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Francisco Medina

Dr. Huerta

04.19.2018

Role of interest groups on public opinion

Interest groups play a major role in our society for encouraging the voices of people who feel the need to exemplify the issues our society is directing. A majority of interest groups are run by lobbyists and PAC’s, which can influence the opinion of the public. The public’s opinion is important in our society but interest groups either help encourage their voice or persuade the public to think otherwise. This paper will examine the dilemma of interest groups in American politics by analyzing a popular group such as St. Jude’s advocates for children’s health and the NRA’s efforts in opposing gun control. Each interest group has different goals or ambitions …show more content…
Interest groups have to be cautious when going to court, “… interest groups are only likely to choose this path (Litigation) when they think the courts, more importantly the US Supreme Courts, are likely to rule in their favor.” The emphasis on this quote is to express the complex precaution that is taken because of the expense and risk of litigation. St. Jude personally contributes more than a 100 thousand dollars a year in lobbying efforts. No organization or interest group wants to lose when going to court, specifically when the process may have taken a huge amount of money from their wallets. The NRA has to be cautious because they contributed 5.12 million dollars alone in 2017. Federal Judges can go either way with interest groups because of their lifetime appointment. “Get the wrong one on the bench, and the interest group is stuck for a long time.” This confirms the message, it takes a lot of time and money to sponsor cases all the way to the supreme court and there is no guarantee regarding the outcome which makes interest groups reluctant to pursue a direct litigation …show more content…
This strategy helps broaden the range of opinion on a certain matter, whether for non-profit organizations to encourage the donations to help children in need or to help the NRA “protect” the second amendment. Not only does this attract individuals with similar beliefs but also brings awareness as to what is being done to those who oppose those same ideas. There were news outlets that circulated or advertised an image of Emma Gonzalez, a young woman who was tearing up the U.S. Constitution, but in reality tore up a shooting range target. This paper target was photoshopped to look like the U.S. Constitution because of members of the NRA are worried about stricter gun laws. The action behind the scenes is where the sneaky tactics happen. What better way to show your support for an interest group, like individuals who favor the NRA, to frame a young woman who is promoting stricter gun laws because of mass shootings. This is one of the many tactics used to help persuade those who are on the edge of supporting the NRA and their goal to “protect” the second amendment. In order to implement new policies or ideas, interest groups must work around what the system has been created on. This helps us understand why interest groups may have a difficult time implementing or being able to respond to public opinion the way it is
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