...No Casinos Toronto Campaign Student’s Name Institution No Casinos Toronto Campaign Conflict expansion is the incorporated use of advocacy and lobbying, in an attempt to influence legislation changes. In the No Casinos Toronto Campaign, the advocacy groups employed conflict expansion to carry out the course. The groups ensured that most individuals in Toronto are aware of the campaign, and what it entails. They also coerced councilors to make legislation in opposition of the intended casino in the city. In their campaign, the advocacy groups ensured that councilors did not have a wide room for voting in favor of the casino. Conflict expansion is the rigorous use of lobbying and advocacy to manipulate legislation, without giving legislators much of a choice. This essay will evaluate the efficacy of conflict expansion, in regard to No Casinos Toronto Campaign. The advocacy groups in the “No Casinos Toronto Campaign” first contacted the legislators in the city regarding their opposing views on the proposed mega-casino. They wrote to the relevant authorities, regarding the upcoming effects of the casino on the public, the businesses and the Toronto society in general. They tried to convince the councilors to legislate in opposition of the mega-casino proposition (TogetherToronto, 2013). After communicating their stand with the legislators, the advocacy groups then launched and online campaign. The online campaign was to...
Words: 840 - Pages: 4
...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...
Words: 716 - Pages: 3
...Are interest groups in the USA too powerful? Interest groups are an organised pressure group in which members hold similar beliefs and actively pursue ways to influence government. Unlike political parties, which seek to win control of government, pressure groups are principally interested in influencing those to determine policy. There are different structures of pressure groups within the United States, for example there is a predominance of business groups, the larger pressure groups (e.g. NRA) tend to have a wider scope of insider activity and the evolution of associated Political Action Committees by focusing on the funding side. In this essay I am defining ‘too powerful’ as something that is a hindrance to democracy. On the one hand there is the pluralist view on pressure groups. Many believe they provide true representation for the ordinary citizens between the long stretches of elections. Interest groups provide a valuable addition to any democracy in which the range of views and beliefs can be heard and fed into the decision-making process. Pressure groups highlight the inherent value of the first amendment to the constitution, which formally protects the freedom of speech and the right to petition for the remedy of grievances. In this light, pressure groups can effectively never be too powerful, as they are providing a source for ordinary citizens to participate in politics, which they normally don’t get to do between elections. Pressure groups offer many forms of...
Words: 1276 - Pages: 6
...Govt., Business, NGOs – Interface between them in the rise of globalization BUSINESS ETHICS PROJECT Govt., Business, NGOs – Interface between them in the rise of globalization BUSINESS ETHICS PROJECT Chand Ajmera, PGP/17/192 Ananya Jha, PGP/17/194 Shraddha Srikhande, PGP/17/240 Dinesh Kumar V, PGP/17/248 Chand Ajmera, PGP/17/192 Ananya Jha, PGP/17/194 Shraddha Srikhande, PGP/17/240 Dinesh Kumar V, PGP/17/248 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 2. ROLE OF CSOS IN BUSINESS GOVERNMENT INTERFACE 3. LOBBYING - INTRODUCTION 4. ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF LOBBYING 5. EXAMPLES OF LOBBYING 6. ACTIONS BEING TAKEN TO CURB THE UNETHICAL ASPECT OF LOBBYING 7. CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS 1. INTRODUCTION The growth and function of every business is highly dependent on the government. A large number of government actions in addition to laws and regulations affect companies’ finances. There are several reasons behind regulation of business by the government. 1. Public safety and welfare: Many industries are regularly reviewed and overseen because their activities, if they go skewed, can have detrimental effects to human health, financial well-being, or community structure. [21] 2. Protecting industry: Many regulations are in place to protect those who have developed their business correctly; licensing, permits, and inspections by the government clear out criminal activities that challenge truthful industries. [21] 3. Revenue...
Words: 3577 - Pages: 15
...Define an interest group with examples. Interest group – usually a voluntary organization where members share a common interest in which they seek to influence public policy, without seeking political control. They have primary activities such as lobbying the members of the legislative bodies through contributions to political parties, trying to elect sympathetic or pliable politicians, and by conducting covert or open propaganda campaigns. (Interest Groups, n.d.) There are a few different types of interest groups and they are as follows: Economic Interest Groups This is the largest category that includes organizations that represent big businesses, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), as well as big labor – the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organization (AFL-CIO) and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. (Types of Interest Groups, 2012) Public Interest Groups These groups usually do not expect to profit directly from policy changes. These groups gain financially by getting donations from individuals and foundations that support their activities. Groups such as Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), League of Women Voters, and Common Cause belong with the public interest groups. (Types of Interest Groups, 2012) Government Interest Groups Even with the structure of the federal system, it does not surprise us that there are organizations to bring issues of local and state government...
Words: 1529 - Pages: 7
...WEEK 8 ASSIGNMENT Interest Groups Professor Karina Arzumanova U.S. Goverment An Interests Group is defined as an organization of people or a letterhead organization, sharing a common interest or goal that seeks to influence the making of public policy. In the American political system, there are a wide variety of interest groups that are organized for the sole purpose of exerting influence on the political and legal systems. These groups play a central role in deciding who gets what, when, where and how in legislative and budget processes. They also play a significant role in deciding which values will be promoted and enforced by the government. When individuals have common interests, it often makes sense for them to join together in pursuit of those interests. When this happens, a special interest group is formed. These groups then compete for a share of the limited resources distributed through the political process. While many groups are formed to compete for economic resources, others are formed to support their positions on issues like abortion and gun control. The limited resource these groups compete for is not money or real estate but rather the use of governmental power to enforce a particular set of values. At the group level, it makes sense for groups to form and do the things they do. However, at the individual level, there are powerful incentives to be a free rider. If a group is pursuing your interests even though you, as an individual, are...
Words: 2263 - Pages: 10
...results than lawsuits or mass mobilization- you are dealing with one person (the politician you are funding); it buys the candidate's loyalty and support; it provides access when the interest group needs assistance; it is more effective on a single, focused issue; you don't need a large group of people to back you up (as with mass mobilization). Grassroots Lobbying- asking the public to contact legislators concerning the issue at had, as opposed to going to the legislators directly. A grassroots lobby puts pressure on the legislature to address the concerns of a particular group by mobilizing that group, usually through raising public awareness and running advocacy campaigns. A group or individual classified as a lobbyist must submit regular disclosure reports; however, reporting requirements vary from state to state. The unique characteristic of grassroots lobbying, in contrast to other forms of lobbying, is that it involves stimulating the politics. Mass Mobilization- Mobilizing a specific group identified by the lobby puts pressure on the legislature to address the concerns of this group. These tactics are used after the lobbying group gains the public’s...
Words: 605 - Pages: 3
...Social Services Lobbyists Social lobbyists seek to obtain the support of many individuals along with politicians. The social lobbyists gather ideas and resources needed for the human services and then seeks to persuade and gather supporters. A social lobbyist as a social advocate is very important. The reason for this is that the lobbyist actually experiences the resources and knows what can be implemented for improvement. The responsibility of a lobbyist is extensive and consists of numerous tasks. Social advocates are courageous people who attain good analytical skills. Social advocates stand for what they believe in, and they lobby for people who are exploited, underprivileged, and destitute. There are different types of social advocates who lobby for what they believe in, such as human rights activist, environmentalists, revolutionary leader, and social workers. Social workers are huge social advocates; they lobby for political and social actions that help clients have equal access to employment, and services. Social workers lobby for county programs, local human rights commissions, and state agencies, such as those providing food stamps, Medicaid, and vocational rehabilitation. On the federal side social workers lobby for Social Security Administration, Department of Health and Human services, United States Department of Justice, and the president of the United States. Social workers positions as lobbyists effect social policy changes through changing laws...
Words: 997 - Pages: 4
...Bribery is a form of corruption. An example of bribery is giving money or a gift to a teacher to get a good grade. Lobbying is an attempt by a group or individual to influence the decision of someone or a group or even a public official. There is a major difference between bribery’s and lobbying. Lobbying is a legal form of actively supporting a cause or position while bribery involves the giving of money or other incentives to persuade somebody, in authority, to do something that is dishonest or illegal. Bribes are unmistakably considered to be unethical, but people's opinions change when seen in past situations whether they participated in offered bribes themselves or not. Persons, who did not offer bribes, judge those who offered them and those who accepted them more critically than other people. The SLOC can say that the gifts and medical care that was given was not intent to bribe but an attempt to help some of the members of the IOC. The SLOC paid for medical expenses for a person that had hepatitis. So easily they can say that the reason free medical care was provided was to make this influential member of the IOC better and that was their intent. Under the FCPA it does not matter how much money or the value of anything given it is the intent for what you are doing it for. If you intent is not a good intent then that is considered bribery. I also don’t think the entire community should be held responsible for something that the members violated. Punishment for violation...
Words: 418 - Pages: 2
...Participation is a key function of pressure groups as it gives citizens an avenue of participation between elections in a structured and moderated manner to get an issue or issues across to MPs. Given the behaviour of pressure groups such as the EDL it is unlikely that politicians will have sympathy for their concerns. For example on 8 September 2013, 160 EDL members were arrested following a protest in Tower Hamlets after a clash between counter-demonstrators. However, the majority of pressure groups stay true to the function of participation and in many cases bring about change in the government. By participating more peacefully whilst still being effective, MPs are more likely to consider supporting the views of the pressure group in parliament. In 2010, following a series of Greenpeace campaigns such as climbing onto a plane at Heathrow airport, the coalition government scrapped plans to build a third runway which shows how pressure groups can be effective and true to the function of participation. A function of pressure groups is agenda setting which is where they have the ability to influence the importance of topics on the public agenda so as a news item is covered more frequently and prominently, the audience will regard the issue as more important. A successful example of this is where in 2000, the People’s Fuel Lobby successfully managed to shut down the country by protesting on the entrances to fuel depots and blockaded roads over the issue of fuel prices. Of course...
Words: 929 - Pages: 4
...One of the biggest special-interest lobbyists groups is the Oil and Gas lobbyists. In 2009, annual lobbying for oil and gas was approximately $174 million. This year marked the highest amount ever spent on lobbying for the oil and gas industry. In 2013, annual lobbying spent was approximately $145 million. The attached chart shows the annual lobbying on oil and gas. Since 2007, the amount of money spent on lobbying for this industry has jumped drastically. It is easy to see how special-interests groups can influence policies even when the policies are opposed by voters. Currently, there are 762 lobbyists reported for the oil and gas industry (Oil and Gas, 2014). As these groups grow, the pressure on senators and delegates also grows. The amount of money used by lobbyist groups to influence policy change is absurd. In finance, cash is king. The same seems to be true for policy influence. Each special-interest group tries to find a way to influence policy. Some groups may be trying to improve regulations while others are trying to reduce regulations. Some groups believe fracking is the answer, while other groups are concerned with the environmental impacts. For politicians, finding a balance between lobbyist groups and their constituents is a juggling act. They must make justified decisions. Of course self-interest plays a crucial role because they want to be reelected. Large sums of money helps with campaigning. Social interest also plays a key role because in order...
Words: 310 - Pages: 2
...Running Header: Special Interest Special Interest Jermall Cuffee Professor: Dr. Jane El-Yacoubi POL 110 03/03/13 So, when the election is all over. What can the average American do to stay involved in the political arena and not have to wait for the next election? There is one significant way of influencing American government and that is through an Interest Group. Interest Groups also known as advocacy groups, lobbying groups or special interest, are in place to persuade or prevent changes in public policies. They exist for the solemn purpose of conveying the views and defending the interest of a part of society to public officials. There are all types of interest groups in America from animal rights groups to public interest groups to citizen groups. Interest groups get there start when James Madison developed the theme in “The Federalists (No. 10). In it he discussed factions, which was his term for interest groups and Madison believed that will always have diverse interest especially when it comes to economic circumstances and property ownership. Even though interest groups can be found deeply rooted in many different traditions and cultures such as Germany, they are common threads that can be observed in the development of interest groups mostly in Western industrial societies. There are about four phases in which the development of interest groups can be viewed. In what is called the first phase or the preindustrial phase beginning in the 1830s to the 1870s, there...
Words: 2073 - Pages: 9
...particular importance on his ability to lobby for the ideas he believed in as well as building a good support team. Ian ensured that he knew how to take tough decisions and displayed incredible leadership skills. 3. What are the differences in the process of developing an opportunity within a corporate environment as opposed to independently? In my opinion, developing business ideas within an organization have more pros than developing an idea independently. While it is quite difficult to take radical decisions when working within a structured organization, it is a relatively safer environment if you have the sources and credibility to back up ideas. As per the case, Ian displayed passion for his project and with good networking skills and lobbying, he was able to get a buy-in from the senior management. Although he did put his career at risk by venturing into an unexplored market, he did not have to invest his personal finances into the project. He also had the luxury of building a team without worrying about...
Words: 401 - Pages: 2
...In general terms there are four principal methods that a pressure group can use in order to fulfil their functions. These four are; Electioneering and endorsement, Lobbying, Publicity and Organising grassroots activities. I would argue that Lobbying and organising grassroots activities is the most effective method that a pressure group can use as it is direct access to legislators as well as important political figures, whereas the use of electioneering and PAC is effective in a way it is not highly consider. The1970’s campaign finance reforms considerable alter the role of pressure groups and political fundraising, consequently the reforms limited the amount a pressure group could give to a candidate in a federal election. Therefore, the reform encouraged the setting up of political action committees commonly known as PACs that could make donations. A PAC is an organisation whose sole purpose is to raise funds which is then given to candidate campaigns running for political office. The 2006 mid-term elections were the first to run under the McCain-Feingold law of 2002, which had significant changes to federal election finance. The 2006 mid—terms themselves were an opportunity for the Democrats to regain control of both houses of Congress, with these factors as well as it being the most expensive election to date — an increase of 25% on what was spent in 2002, a majority of this increase was by PACs. PAC spending in 2006 exceeded $1billion and also with an increased emphasis...
Words: 893 - Pages: 4
...Unit 1 – Ethics, Morality and Legalities Abstract This paper will attempt to dissect the fine line between lobbying and bribery and give some direction as to where one ends and the other begins with relationship to ethics, morality and legalities. Unit 1 - Ethics, Morality and Legalities 1. What is the difference between lobbying and bribery? Meriam-Websters online dictionary. (2011). Defines bribe(ry) as money or favor given to influence the judgment or conduct of a person in a position of trust. Meriam-Websters online dictionary. (2011). Defines lobbying as conducting activities aimed at influencing public officials and especially members of a legislative body on legislation. Based upon the previous definitions of bribery and lobbying it is hard to tell the difference between the two. However, upon closer inspection bribery clearly defines what cannot be done and lobbying is simply conducting activities to influence public official or legislative bodies. Jrank.org. (2011) states that lobbying is considered so essential to the proper functioning of the U.S Government that is specifically protected by the First Amendment of the U.S Constitution. 2. What argument cold the SLOC members make that the payments made do not fit the definition of an illegal bribe (under the FCPA)? SLOC members could argue that the payments made to IOC members were not to influence them to secure their business interests. According to justice.gov. (nd) was...
Words: 539 - Pages: 3
