Is Government Dominated By Business :: essays research papers fc

Is Government Dominated by Business   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Special interest groups have dominated government since the advent of America's political system. Special interest groups or lobbies are collections of individuals who join together to pursue common interests and to influence the decisions on public policies. Many people view special interest groups as an integral part of the political process, legitimized by the first amendment of the Constitution. In that way, special interest groups are good. The point that disgusts many people is that more often then not money overpowers the right decision; that is why Big Business is a problem. The richer the companies and organizations, the better chance they have to persuade the government officials.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the United States alone there are thousands of special interest groups working for their own cause. Some of the causes they are working for are: business, banking, labor, environment, women, seniors, the economy, and farming just to name a few. Some groups or businesses which partake in lobbying are: N.O.W., Green Peace, AFL-CIO, Teamsters, Sierra Club, N.R.A., Tobacco industry and the ACLU. These groups often work at the national, state, and local levels attempting to influence government policy. Many groups have permanent offices in Washington DC. The primary goals of these groups are the passing, blocking, or amending legislation to achieve a favorable ruling for their own benefit. In Washington the groups primary targets are the House and Senate sub-committees which are the key places where legislation is considered. The groups often speak in front of Committee hearings to put their views on the record.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most well known special interest group is the National Rifle Association. This group has done tireless work in Washington trying to stop Gun Control bills from passing in Congress. The worst blow that happened to the NRA was the passing of the Brady Bill and the Assault Rifle Ban. The NRA believes this is an infringement on the constitutional rights of all Americans. Recently after a huge lobby in Washington, the NRA forced the Senate to have another vote on the Assault Rifle ban. The way the NRA forces the senate is as followed: the NRA gets together with some senators that they know want to repeal the ban. The NRA gives money to the senators for their campaigns, etc. The senators then persuade other senators and the NRA has them on their side as well. When the NRA captures enough senators, it forces Congress to bring it to the floor and debate about the issue. In this case, the NRA failed. However, the NRA will continue to support the senators that are a help to the cause and