It is written in our first amendment that we have the freedom of religion, expression, assembly, and the right to petition. This amendment alone has given the people of America the power to form groups. These groups are known as special interest groups. These are groups of people with common interests that strive to form policies to benefit its members. The problem many people argue over is the theory of Iron Triangles. They’re basically relationships between congress members, interest groups, and federal agencies. So now that I have the basics out of the way I’d like to begin with a quote. “The iron triangle is a model used by political scientists which illustrates how a bureaucracy can be hijacked to serve the interests of a special interest
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This doesn’t sit right with many people simply due to the fact that they still have certain power, and when a special interest group wants someone like them to help their cause, if the money is there, they WILL support them. The problem here is that special interest groups pay exorbitant amounts of money to lobbyists to represent their interests. “Lobbyists could sometimes be paid five times as much as they did in Congress.” (Dr. Baltadano, Chapter 8: Interest Groups, Lecture) This creates one-sided interests that don’t focus on the public’s best interest but of the interest groups. Since Iron Triangles are basically closed between the interest groups, congress, and federal agencies this opens up some opportunities or strategy’s that special interest groups can use. “Inside strategy is to keep the policy request narrowly tailored to the group’s needs because the broader the policy request, the more likely other groups will become involved.” (Gateways to Democracy: An Introduction to American Government.) This affects how policies are crafted …show more content…
All bills are made by the Senate and House of Representatives. In theory, it is Congress’ job is to make laws that influence our lives. But because special interest groups and congress go hand in hand many bills are highly influenced by the interest groups goals. It goes without saying that this strategy of politics is definitely flawed in its ways. “Critics of the influence of interest groups ….argue that they contribute to the inefficiency of the federal government” (Gateways to Democracy: An Introduction to American Government) Interest groups are NOT interested in the publics better interest rather than their own personal wants. In many senses this could be referred to as corruption. When Congress listens to only one singular group without considering the thousands of other voices asking for change it causes imbalances in our policies. Gun Control laws are a big controversy in America. Many argue that we should ban firearms all together, while the majority argues that more gun regulation can decrease crimes with guns. This means more background checking for people looking to purchase a firearm. “Fact: 93% of guns used in crimes are obtained illegally.” (Crime and Guns) Unfortunately, it goes to show that increasing gun regulation may not be as effective as some people believe. The problem lies mainly in the black market. Influences like the NRA play such a key role in gun policy
This doesn’t sit right with many people simply due to the fact that they still have certain power, and when a special interest group wants someone like them to help their cause, if the money is there, they WILL support them. The problem here is that special interest groups pay exorbitant amounts of money to lobbyists to represent their interests. “Lobbyists could sometimes be paid five times as much as they did in Congress.” (Dr. Baltadano, Chapter 8: Interest Groups, Lecture) This creates one-sided interests that don’t focus on the public’s best interest but of the interest groups. Since Iron Triangles are basically closed between the interest groups, congress, and federal agencies this opens up some opportunities or strategy’s that special interest groups can use. “Inside strategy is to keep the policy request narrowly tailored to the group’s needs because the broader the policy request, the more likely other groups will become involved.” (Gateways to Democracy: An Introduction to American Government.) This affects how policies are crafted …show more content…
All bills are made by the Senate and House of Representatives. In theory, it is Congress’ job is to make laws that influence our lives. But because special interest groups and congress go hand in hand many bills are highly influenced by the interest groups goals. It goes without saying that this strategy of politics is definitely flawed in its ways. “Critics of the influence of interest groups ….argue that they contribute to the inefficiency of the federal government” (Gateways to Democracy: An Introduction to American Government) Interest groups are NOT interested in the publics better interest rather than their own personal wants. In many senses this could be referred to as corruption. When Congress listens to only one singular group without considering the thousands of other voices asking for change it causes imbalances in our policies. Gun Control laws are a big controversy in America. Many argue that we should ban firearms all together, while the majority argues that more gun regulation can decrease crimes with guns. This means more background checking for people looking to purchase a firearm. “Fact: 93% of guns used in crimes are obtained illegally.” (Crime and Guns) Unfortunately, it goes to show that increasing gun regulation may not be as effective as some people believe. The problem lies mainly in the black market. Influences like the NRA play such a key role in gun policy