1. Please discuss three reasons why the Lobbying Profession is an honorable and necessary one and three reasons why it is a destructive influence on democracy and our system of governing. Lobbying is a controversial topic. However, there are many reasons the profession is necessary. Most Americans do not have the time and resources to lobby for the issues they care about most. They cannot travel to Washington, D.C. or their state capitol to lobby legislatures and political leaders. Instead, lobbyists represent these Americans. Professional lobbyists also provide organized representation of interests. There are hundreds of interests. If every citizen were to write a letter about some policy whenever they thought about it or started some protest
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According to Justin McCarthy, what have been the obstacles to efforts for ‘fighting for the middle’ which has been historically necessary to pass legislation? According to Justin McCarthy, one obstacle to “fighting for the middle” is gerrymandering. Districts are created to protect incumbents and majorities. For this reason, representatives feel safe when they are running for election or reelection. They are not worried about general elections and attracting moderate voters or voters from the opposing party. There are few electoral consequences for not compromising with the other side. This makes it much more difficult to find a middle to fight for. The second reason McCarthy gave for why it has become difficult to fight for the middle is the partisan media. Over the last few decades, there has been a growth in partisan media on cable TV and on the Internet. These media have specific audiences that they target and their content caters to these audiences. They are not concerned with “the middle” or a comprehensive view of policy or politics. With many of their constituents choosing these media options over others, it can be hard for members of Congress to move toward the middle. They risk public backlash for straying from partisan
According to Justin McCarthy, what have been the obstacles to efforts for ‘fighting for the middle’ which has been historically necessary to pass legislation? According to Justin McCarthy, one obstacle to “fighting for the middle” is gerrymandering. Districts are created to protect incumbents and majorities. For this reason, representatives feel safe when they are running for election or reelection. They are not worried about general elections and attracting moderate voters or voters from the opposing party. There are few electoral consequences for not compromising with the other side. This makes it much more difficult to find a middle to fight for. The second reason McCarthy gave for why it has become difficult to fight for the middle is the partisan media. Over the last few decades, there has been a growth in partisan media on cable TV and on the Internet. These media have specific audiences that they target and their content caters to these audiences. They are not concerned with “the middle” or a comprehensive view of policy or politics. With many of their constituents choosing these media options over others, it can be hard for members of Congress to move toward the middle. They risk public backlash for straying from partisan