Interest Groups And Congress

4 Pages 931 Words

To many, interest groups are an evil but necessary part of Democracy with the potential to corrupt the process and distort policy away from the popular will. To others, groups express the best features of democracy; they are both necessary to voice the many opinions and interests of constituents. In 1946, Senator Robert La Follette expressed his feelings about special interest groups by stating, “the true attitude of public opinion is distorted and obscured by the pressures of special interest groups.” He further criticized that “legislators find it difficult to discover the real majority will and to legislate in the public interest.” In contrast, Wright has concluded that “interest groups not only improve the job security and policy performance of legislators, but they also serve as a mechanism by which citizens can bring their concerns to the attention of their representatives. The fact that interest groups and the lobbying of Congress has and still is controversial is evident.
What makes special interest groups controversial is the ambiguity surrounding who exactly is a lobbyist and what specific acts are considered lobbying. Lobbying is the practice of attempting to influence legislation. Lobbyists are usually employees or representatives of companies or interest groups who try to influence votes on legislation and to gain publicity for their causes. Lobbyists may represent such varied interests as agriculture, transportation, professions such as medicine and the law, or such groups as women voters or conservationists.
Lobbying, guaranteed by the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Article I of which specifies the right of the people to petition their government, has become an accepted fact of American political life, however, their public image, remains that of people who affect the outcome of legislation and elections by contributing money to politicians.
Over the years, the government has tried to regulat...