- Ineffectual Government & Special Interest Groups -
Special interest groups, also known as pressure groups or lobbies are groups of people who are united through a shared interest, and who intend to influence the government regarding their particular cause, issue or interest where policy-making is concerned. Lobbies have existed in the United States since its origins. For just as long they have been viewed with a somewhat dualistic nature. There are many who feel interest groups are good because they represent different issues that the public is concerned about, and, through united effort and lobbying, they have much more influence than the single voter to influence public policy and legislators. However, there are those who feel interest groups are detrimental to American government because some lobbies that are powerful, may really be doing more damage than good to the American public because they are primarily self-serving and profit-oriented. One only has to look at the massive pro-tobacco lobbying groups that kept the dangerous effects of cigarettes hidden for decades because of so much political and legislator influence and control (think of Bob Dole in the last election to see how pro-tobacco groups have finally become ineffective in the face of massive anti-tobacco lobbying groups that have evolved in reaction to their imbalance of power and influence). One such person who sees special interest groups as more detrimental than beneficial to American government is political author, Jonathan Rauch. This essay will review his book and highlight the reasons why he feels special interest groups cause harm to the US government by making it ineffectual in terms of management. A conclusion will address how many special interest groups are nothing more than a collection of “we” the people as individuals, and, how our constant demands on the government may be the reason it is so vulnerable to special interest group lobby...