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Interest Groups The immigration policy is very sensitive that has sparked a lot of interest from the people. It is not easy to come to a real conclusion on the issue because many do not agree with some of the legislation. It is an issue that requires a lot of attention, and it also calls for commitment. One of the problems facing immigration policy is the lack of appropriate funding. This has been caused by a lack of proper allocation of money to the sector which leads to poor governance (Nownes 218).
Another problem is the poor implementation of the current laws in place. Lack of attention by Congress has paralyzed implementation. It is very crucial to address these problems to avoid further loopholes that include handouts by special interest groups, for example, the American Civil Liberties Union which fights for the rights of immigrants. Although the government is working hard in securing the border, more stringent laws need to be put in place to fully take charge of the situation.
Dempsey and Forst (341) elaborate that research shows that there are more than ten million illegal immigrants in the country. This means that the federal government is not working hard enough. Another failure by the government is the lack of reforms in the visa section. It has failed to ensure that those people who get into the country on a temporary visa do not stay in the country permanently. According to Nownes (218), interest groups are people who have come together with similar interests and try their best to influence public policy.
They are very important to democracy in that they represent the views of the citizens and also allow the people to have a chance of their voices heard. In environmental policy, an example of an interest group is the American Council for an energy-efficient economy. It works towards ensuring that the economy prospers with a protected environment. Environment and energy are areas that have managed to capture a lot of interest from the citizens including interest groups. It is a policy that is determined by the federal, local entities, and the state.
They tackle the issues of production of energy, consumption, as well as distribution. The responsibilities include determining gas lineage standards and also building codes. The problems in energy and the environment include poor government incentives and poor legislation. Being a sensitive sector, more attention is required to ensure that all citizens can enjoy a favorable environment that is clean, safe, and healthy for all. It is important for the government to look into state protection of property rights, to prevent abuse from legislatures and the local government (Nownes 221).
The government has failed to put in place a mechanism to pay owners of land for the regulatory taking, for example when the use of land is prohibited because of regulatory laws like the Clean Water Act. The government should also allow the citizens to have more responsibility for land ownership and taking care of the environment. Fiscal policy is when the government uses revenue collection for example taxes and expenditures to influence the economy. The government imposes taxes to receive revenue from the citizens.
This policy is controlled by the government. The problems with the fiscal policy include high taxes that reduce work incentives that, in the long run, affect employment and the growth of the economy. The fiscal policy may also suffer if the government fails to make accurate forecasting. According to Laasch and Conaway (165), the government should take action in making incentives including lowering taxes. Interest groups help to ensure that the government is working hard to ensure that the economy is flourishing.
Monetary policy is one way in which the government tries to control the economy by supplying money to the economy or by slowing the money supply to the economy. Problems set in when there is inflation. Mishkin (493) argues that this is caused by a lack of proper planning and poor forecasting. It is important to address the problem to maintain price stability. When this is achieved, there will be an impact on employment where the citizens will enjoy a sustainable source of income. Since the last inflation, the government is working harder to prevent further inflation from occurring.
Interest groups are also putting pressure on the government to ensure that the citizens are not suffering.
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