INTEREST GROUPS AND THE INFLUENCE THEY HAVE ON AMERICAN POLITICS

Interest Groups (IGs) over the years have had more influence on American Politics than the average American citizen who votes in an election. These groups Lobby to get funding for what they believe is true; whether it’s one program or several programs they put together a solid organization to make sure they get their point across when election time comes around. These groups influence State and Government policy collectively on all levels. It can be the average citizen who goes around asking for you to sign petitions, it can be your own State Politician or Government Official who’s trying to birth a new program into existence. Interest Groups have very strong beliefs about what they are advocating. These groups at times feel so strong in their beliefs that sometimes they start protesting and even sometimes start riots.
These groups come into fruition when people get together and start pulling their resources together. An individual can be highly educated, wealthy, or have a little socio-economic background to help further along their cause. Support and money goes along way when you have it to give and make things happen. Lobbying is a really big issue to these groups, because that’s how they are able to maneuver through the “red tape “ of Politics in any social realm. The lobbying starts when IGs are fighting to protect their respective turfs; meaning each Group is trying to get some kind of program implemented. This is our world of ‘DEMOCRACY’. Money and advertising will and can influence America. These groups know, eventually with enough support that a bill or law will be passed.
There is one IG in particular that I would like to mention in this essay and this group fits the Chapter 9 title Organized Interests: NOT “THE PEOPLE” and they are called PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). It is believed that most of our Interest Groups even from the beginning of our Constitution are made up of middle and upper class individuals that have the most socioeconomic backgrounds. I believe our book calls it the Elitist vs. The Pluralist. Take for example the PETA founder Alex Pacheco uncovered the abuse of animals from experiments in 1981. This group has a horrendous following of supporters and constituents. PETA has a good support base all over the United States. They have a great deal of influence within the Government and not to mention there are a lot of animal lovers in the United States. One might think these individuals convey a ‘strong arm tactic’ because they have a lot of influential people who support their claims against people who mistreat animals. They use tactics such as offering a $1,000,000 to companies to make in-vitro meats, blowing the whistle on animal experiments, they even criticized Vice President Al Gore for eating for eating a meat diet that contributed to Global Warming.

This one IG makes public spectacles out of anybody they can scrutinize. Celebrities and athletes are not above the law when it comes to dealing with such issues conveyed by this IG. They don’t want any animals exploited whether you’re wearing fur, testing animals, or racing dogs and chickens. PETA pays for most of their advertising, therefore you can easily influence the people who are animal lovers. In 2007 Pro Athlete Michael Vick was convicted of raising and fighting dogs at his home in Atlanta. Through the encouragement of PETA and their many supporters he ended up serving time in prison for 23 months. The rest of the world felt that maybe he should’ve gotten probation instead of a conviction, but this is where politics and Democracy plays a key role in our Judicial system also. One individual made a mistake and he was made an example of and he’s still being persecuted by this same IG.

PETA made it known that he wasn’t going to get away with such horrific treatment of raising, fighting and killing dogs. As of this date PETA is still trying to lobby Washington D. C. in regards to cockfighting that is endorsed by Pro Boxer Roy Jones Jr. There are six lobbyists per Senator but with all of PETA’s supporters they have about five times the lobbyists.