Interest Groups Discussion Questions
Humanities
1) Why do you think interest groups feature so prominently in the US politics? And also in comparison to other countries, where interest groups aren’t as influential?
2) From a power/influence standpoint, why would you want to join an interest group in pushing for a particular policy or supporting an issue you care about? Do you see it as something you do instead of voting or joining a protest, or in addition to?
3) I asked in a previous discussion what issues you all cared about. If you were to join an interest group, which ones would you join and why? What does joining an interest group do for you as an active citizen/resident of this country? Feel free to discuss lobbying and its impact on policies here using examples. Ex: If I want universal healthcare in the US, I would maybe join this group (Links to an external site.). My donation to them hopefully means they have hired lobbyists whose job is to influence government to enact universal healthcare. NOTE: you can join an interest group and do a writeup about it for extra credit. See extra credit opportunity in the week 7 view of modules.
4) What are perhaps some interest groups you think are harmful to the US or you disagree with and why? Ex: Some people believe the National Rifle Association (NRA) prevents sensible safety laws for guns that could save lives.
