Lobbying and Policymaking - Essay Example

?Running Head: SPECIAL INTERESTS ID Lecturer Define the interest group, with examples. The definition of an interest group is a group or entity that exists as a non-profit concern which is managed by people who do so in a voluntary role. Their members have a common mission to serve a certain purpose. They ideally want their mission to be fulfilled after they have made their cause known to everyone within the society. Moving ahead with the definition, these interest groups have a definite objective attached to their entirety. They need to have a control mechanism which is helped in terms of influence with the public policy which has already been developed for a state or a country. However, the members do not wish to have any political control which suggests much within the relevant scheme of things. These interest groups lobby with the assistance of their members who form a vital ingredient of the various legislative bodies. Their roles are taken care of regularly by the political parties for which these interest groups have an aim to serve from a strategic perspective. It would not be wrong to suggest here that these interest groups have been playing their due role within electing the politicians who have a fair idea as per the cause at hand and the right kind of attention that the subject raised by these interest groups exists. It is a given that these interest groups hire people who have some form of secretive instincts in terms of propaganda movements (Loomis, 2011). On other occasions, they are asked to do it more openly. There are a number of interest groups which are related to one another yet exist separately due to different reasons. These comprise of the economic interest groups, which include within them the trade unions, the religious groups and chambers of commerce. Then there are the professional interest groups which take into account the various doctors, business individuals, architects and lawyers to name a few. These people are usually the skilled workers that exist within any society at any given point in time. Also there is the public interest group which relates itself with the environment and takes care of the concerns which surround the lives of the people (Nownes, 2000). These public interest groups benefit the individuals more than anything else. The fourth interest group is remarked as the special interest group which is a part of the subgroups that usually come about within large groups and have a very precise approach to them. Once a clear cut understanding of these interest groups is attained, the next step is to differentiate them from the pressure groups which exist within any society in the present times. The interest groups have very accurate intentions and a focused mission, which it complies to at all times. A number of supporters exist for these interest groups which is a positive sign if seen within the broader contexts. These supporters are of the view that these interest groups highlight what other individuals feel about their own entireties as well as the community at large. A good amount of people opine that these interest groups have a hidden program attached to each and every step of theirs which may be based on fallacies alone. However, people keep raising suspicions every now and then to spark off a controversy surrounding these interest groups. Some interest groups have been able to make a name for their own selves. Two of these are the NCH which advances the economic justice cause which is there for the families who are having a tough time as they have low incomes; and the NCPSSM which encourages for the renowned federal programs in terms of social security and Medicare for all Americans who wish to have a healthy, useful and secure retirement plan. 2. Discuss the relationship between interest groups and political parties. The association that exists between the interest groups and the political parties is based on the premise of significance. The reason for this is that these interest groups connect with the political parties yet somehow they stop short of doing the work of these political parties. In fact, this is where the role of the interest groups is defined in essence and this is exactly where they are differentiated from the political parties and the entire political process. It would be sound to suggest that the political process is always best taken care of by these parties who have either won the Elections or come into power on one context or the other. They serve the masses and hence it is the decision of these political powers that the results come out positively. These political parties handle the nuances that acquaint the people and hence it is deemed as their responsibility in meticulous. On the other hand, the interest groups are more focused towards raising a point as and when required. They do not mingle within the political process and steer away from such domains in entirety. Since it is the duty of the political parties to come up with decisions based on rationalization of the subject at hand, the role of the interest groups is kept at a minimal (Berry, 2008). However, taking along the interest groups and the political parties is somewhat of a difficult process and should always be treated with utmost respect and sanctity. There are people who openly go against this relationship and raise their viewpoints at every forum. There are certain occasions when the political parties do not come to terms with how subliminally the interest groups are trying to feed them information and making way towards their decisions. These are indeed the secret alliances that have been established, and remain an integral part of the working methodologies of these interest groups (Shaiko, 2004). Then again, there are times when open propaganda campaigns are employed to reach a point of significance. Under such scenarios, it is always preferable for the political actors and parties to remain as focused as possible because the interest groups might take them for granted or make a fool out of them. Essentially speaking, the interest groups have no role whatsoever within the working basis of the political parties but when the interest groups are aligned in such a way that the political process gets victimized on one context or the other, then there are bound to be serious reservations on all frontiers. This is an important undertaking because the political parties remain accountable for all their actions, tasks and undertakings and they have to answer back to the people who had done their bit to elect them to the highest office in the first place. It is a well-known fact that these interest groups need to be very quick within their actions because conquering the time tangent remains a key under any political scenario in this day and age. The work that gets done with the assistance of the interest groups and the political parties go a long way at building the link that shall be the cornerstone of achieving much success within the lives of the people (Warner, 2000). The need is to understand where anomalies can be reduced or done away with and how to capitalize on the factor that is related with progress and development of the society on the whole. If this comes about, then it would be right to fathom that the role of the interest groups has been realized in essence and that there are no hiccups experienced at any stage. If the interest groups fail in their endeavor to bring about a change, then this means that there are still areas which need to be worked upon in the future. 3. Explain how interest groups try to influence the President and Congress as these two branches work together to make policy. The interest groups play a vital role within the drafting of the policy which goes a long way at telling the Congress what needs to be done and how the society shall bear the result of it. When the Congress undertakes a policy proposal, it is then sent to the President who approves it for further working and eventual implementation. The role of the interest groups under such a scenario is to make the Congress and the President of the United States aware of the problems and concerns that the people on the whole face and how this can be minimized to a greater extent (Levine, 2008). There are newspaper advertisements and public relations activities carried out by the interest groups to make sure that their point gets across to the right channel and the correct audience. The varied sections of the society are highlighted within these advertisements so that the Congress takes note of it and drafts proposals for it. The end result is a policy change within the subject under discussion as this is a grave concern for quite a few people who are a vital part of these interest groups. Lobbying forms a central part of the undertakings that come about with the assistance of these interest groups. These interest groups do their best to find out where shortcomings exist and how the Congress sees this as a possible opportunity area leaves quite an indelible mark on the rights of the society and its people. The role of the President thus becomes an important one because he has to sign the policy and make it a part of the measures that have been undertaken by the Congress, yet brought forward by these interest groups. These interest groups are the reason why the Congress and the President work hand in hand to achieve those tasks which have been left hidden from their eyes (Godwin, 2012). The need is to understand how the positive role of these interest groups works to good effect for the sake of all concerned and that too from a long term standpoint. However, one needs to comprehend the fact that the Congress and the President always make headway within policy changes and related signings once they see the cumulative effects of these policies and proposals. If they feel that these are not being looked after well, then they would perhaps ask the interest groups to gather more momentum and come back again to present a change within the policy in the future. Hence the role of the interest groups is to make their way through by use of force as this is the reason of their existence in entirety. The realization aspect on the part of these interest groups is of immense significance and it cannot be denied its due role within the relevant scheme of things. When the interest groups are able to maneuver their own selves in such a way, they are indeed doing their job well and they deserve credit for such nuances all said and done. References Berry, J. (2008). The Interest Group Society, 5th ed. Pearson Godwin, R. (2012). Lobbying and Policymaking. CQ Press Levine, B. (2008). The Art of Lobbying: Building Trust and Selling Policy. CQ Press Loomis, B. (2011). Guide to Interest Groups and Lobbying in the United States. CQ Press Nownes, A. (2000). Pressure and Power: Organized Interests in American Politics (New Directions in Political Behavior Series). Houghton Mifflin Company, 1st ed. Shaiko, R. (2004). The Interest Group Connection: Electioneering, Lobbying, and Policymaking in Washington. CQ Press Warner, C. (2000). Confessions of an Interest Group. Princeton University Press Read More