Interest Groups

To some observers, American politics is best understood in terms of group actions and conflicts. Although group influence can be exaggerated, there is no question that virtually every decision made in American politics, whether it is on a legislative committee bill, a congressional floor amendment, a public law, a presidential policy announcement, judicial opinion, or a bureaucratic regulation, affects one or more groups in American society (Ornstein and Elder 21).

The participation of groups in the American political process has its constitutional basis in the First Amendment's guarantees of "freedom of speech" and the "right of citizens to petition the government for a redress of grievances." Abuse of these basic rights, instances of inordinate group influence as well as outright corruption of elected political officials by lobbyists has led to reform and regulation of lobbying (legislation since 1946, mandatory public disclosure) (Ornstein and Elder 114).

Political parties and pressure groups are the major organizations involved in the political process and two characteristics almost always set them apart from each

. . .
from government officials, outside experts or scholars and special interest groups. Other interested citizens at their own request may be given the opportunity to testify or submit a statement for the record. Most witnesses offer prepared statements after which they may be questioned by subcommittee members. Hearings on legislation may serve a variety of purposes: to obtain information on the subject under consideration, to test public opinion, to build support for the bill, or even to delay action on it. Sometimes hearings serve primarily as a safety valve for the release of citizen or group frustrations. The bill in question contained budget provisions for the following departments within the Department of the Interior: Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Geological Survey, Minerals Management Service, Bureau of Mines, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, and the Forest Service. This is just a fraction of the different departments, services, agencies and programs that this piece of legislation covered. (It also covered the Department of Energy.) Witnesses testifying about this bill numbered more than 300 and included Congressional leaders, agency department he
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Ornstein Elder, Social Security, Appropriations Committee, Act Senior, Agencies Appropriations, Testifying Committee, Forest Service, , Tactics Congressional, Park Service, ornstein elder, appropriations bills, department interior, agency department, national forest, agency department heads, committee hearings, idea pressure, public private, economic self-interest, american politics, national park service, policy positions help,
Approximate Word count = 2834
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page)

More Essays on Interest Groups