Interest Groups Essay (Essay 5)

    Interest groups are the foundation of political grassroots efforts. Defined as " a formally organized association that seeks to influence public policy," influence is spread widely through numerous groups. Interest groups use many techniques for lobbying votes and persuading voters such as  litigation, Campaign Contributions, Grassroots lobbying, and Mass Mobilization.

    Litigation, in simple terms, is the process of taking legal action against someone or something through a lawsuit. The in instance of interest groups, litigation would be used to prove a point. For example, the Sierra Club is interested in energy. If a large energy company attempted to buy national preserve land for energy reasons, the Sierra club could take legal action against the company to preserve energy and to prove a point while trying to persuade voters to help their cause. This is a lengthy measure to take on, but other ways, such as grassroots lobbying, are a little easier.

    Grassroots lobbying is quite common because interest groups depend on the support of people to become active and popular. Lobbyists want to influence national policy making. Grassroots lobbying has the same goal, but an entire group of people are in support of one law instead of one lobbyist. It costs a lot of money to lobby, which makes it important to have numerous and large campaign contributions in order to fund goals.

    Campaign contributions can come from PAC's or from private donors. If it were an election, there would be strict guidelines for amounts of dollars given to a politician, but interest groups are different. They get money from grassroots support, PAC's, and anyone else who will donate. Usually, there is a treasurer responsible for the monetary aspect of an interest group. The secretary is a key component in a successful group.

    Mass mobilization is used because of the effective ways of spreading awareness to others. Going back to the Sierra Club, mass mobilization would get the attention of politicians by peaceful protest of energy companies. This is an easier way to get a message across and is the most useful out of the prior techniques because it uses man-power, not money.

Interest groups are the basis of representing the people. Without them, senators and state representatives would have a much harder job. The techniques used by the groups are useful to some and less common to others. Either way, interest groups provide interesting incite on what the people truly want.

Senator Ron Wyden

Senator Wyden 

Senator Wyden was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1949; however, his hometown is Portland, Oregon. Highly educated at prestigious institutions, Wyden has attended the University of Oregon School of Law for his BA and Stanford University. He has a wife, Nancy, and five kids.

From 1981 to 1996, Wyden served in the United States House of Representatives. He was elected through a special election in 1996 and currently serves as the Senator for Oregon with membership in the Democratic Party. In the election to Senate he succeeded Bob Packwood.

Known as the senator who listens, Wyden has assembled and helped with over 150 bipartisan bills and many coalitions on pressing issues, like health care and tax reform. He believes in principled bipartisanship, which are solutions that allow all parties to stay true to their repective principles and celebrate agreements.

Committees:
Chairman of Energy and Natural Resources - The committee is responsible for some of the most important legislation in Congress. 
Finance -
Chairman of Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs and Global Competitiveness -
Senate Budget Committee -
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence -
Senate Special Committe on Aging -
Senate Joint Committee on Taxation -

2 issues w/ background and discussion:


Sources: http://www.wyden.senate.gov/meet-ron/biography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Wyden#U.S._House_of_Representatives

The Philippines

Aftermath of the Philippines

Typhoon Haiyan, one of the worst storms recorded, swept through several islands of the Philippines. One of the areas worst affected by the typhoon was Tacloban. Guiuan, a town of 40,000 people, is in dire need of help as well.
There are many ways we can help the people in the Philippines, but there are key needs that must be met in order to stop future disasters of different kinds. After the earthquake in Haiti, help was rushed in but Cholera was spread because of unclean water. If this were to happen to the Philippines, it would lead to years of bad fortune for its inhabitants. Operation USA has begun covering this base by providing water purification supplies.
The three basic needs must be met for the people of Tacloban and Guiuan: food, shelter, and water. Shelterbox, an emergency relief organization, has been passing out tents and survival kits for people with no homes. They have committed to help 4,000 families and have so far provided 504 Shelterbox tents to people in Manila, Philippines. The World Food Programme has already given two-million dollars and is working to provide fortified biscuits to the Philippines.
Although these basic needs must be met, there are others that get put on the back-burner of the situation that can become real issues if not taken care of. Mosquitoes are directly related to Malaria which is easily spread in muggy areas. With all the water in the Philippines, this creates worry. In addition to an emphasis on providing water, we should also be donating bug spray to keep mosquitoes away.



Sites:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24887746
http://www.divinecaroline.com/life-etc/culture-causes/after-disaster-twelve-unexpected-things-victims-need
http://www.shelterboxusa.org/about.php
https://secure2.convio.net/fwfp/site/Donation2;jsessionid=6567FE8838700712A5C7325B5C0F13DA.app261a?idb=1237175804&df_id=2141&2141.donation=form1&2141_donation=form1
https://donate.opusa.org/?

Federalism in Government

Federalism has been a crucial part of our government since its beginnings. Its definition has changed over the years and has been interpreted in many different ways, but the meaning and importance of the world is still clear after all the government has been through. Categorical grants and federal mandates have been used to increase the power of the federal government for state issues; Block grants and the tenth amendment have been used to increase the power of the state governments to decrease federal government intrusion.
Federalism is defined as, "a way of organizing a nation so two or more levels of government have formal authority over the same people and land". The levels of government can be national, state, or local governments and the people and land are always shared.
Categorical grants are only used for specific categories and have strings attached, generally requirements of the states. Federal mandates are requirements of local and state governments to comply with federals rules to continually receive money. Both of these give more control to the Federal government, increasing federalism in the nation. However, the states have fought back with rules of their own.
Block grants are given automatically to support broad programs in the state, like social services and developing community programs. The Tenth Amendment states that powers not delegated to the National Government by the Constitution nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states or people respectively. Both of these laws give more power to the states to overcome control by the federal government.
Federalism is an ongoing fight in the U.S. government. Whether through categorical grants or mandates, the federal government manages to maintain control over the states. However, the states have fought back with rights of their own to protect and preserve the power they have.

Gradual Change of the Constitution

Our country was founded upon the Constitution that still stands today, but not without change over the years. This proves that our government can survive economic strife and other challenges by changing ways. An amendment can be added in a formal or informal way, however, amendments are most commonly added informally.
Article V of the constitution has a formal process written out. It is a two step process including a proposal and ratification stage. The proposal stage requires a two-thirds vote in each house of Congress with two-thirds of the state legislatures. Ratification requires a vote of three-fourth by the states. Another method is through a Constitutional Convention called by two-thirds of the states. The amendment needs a vote of, again, three-fourths of the states to be ratified.
Changing the constitution can be done informally as well. The elastic clause allows the government to change the constitution if it is "necessary and proper" for the time being. The air force was created with this because all the constitution allowed was an army and military, but an air force was necessary so the constitution was changed informally. Executive Action is also an informal change. The president can change or add a constitutional amendment if need be during a crisis, such as adding nuclear allowances during a war.
Informal change is used most commonly because it is a quicker way of change. Most changes are necessary because of something currently happening, which makes it an urgent matter that must be dealt with quickly. Using an amendment already created and changing it to suit a need is much quicker than having to formally draft and ratify an amendment.

Hugh Sloan, Watergate

Hugh Sloan, Secretary of CREEP

Hugh Sloan was born in Princeton, New Jersey on November 1st, 1940. He married Deborah Murray, now Deborah Sloan, in 1971 and became the treasurer of the Committee for Re-Election of the President (CREEP) shortly after. Mr. Sloan played a lesser role in the issue of Watergate, but still had some effect on its outcome.
His role in Watergate is less central than others, but still important in the aftermath. He participated and observed in many events, some of which he was accused of wrong-doings, and others in which he was defended. On March 20th, 1971 during a CREEP meeting, Nixon decided to spend $250,000 on "intelligence gathering". In other words, Nixon stated he wanted to spend money to spy on the Democrats. Sloan, the treasurer, confirmed the amount and wrote checks for the certain people involved.
In July of 1972, five men supposedly from the CIA, were arrested after attempting to bug some of the Democratic party's offices in the Watergate Hotel. Checks for large sums of money were later found deposited into the bank accounts of the burglars. This was one of the first connections of Sloan to Watergate, and only escalated further from here. In November of 1972, Nixon was reelected as president despite the controversy; however, the trouble continued.
During the trial, "the Watergate Seven", Sloan admits to giving almost $200,000 to the secret espionage team for Nixon. This led to G. Gordon Liddy and James McCord being charged with the conspiracy and wiring of the Democratic headquarters and were immediately put in jail.
Although Sloan played an important role in the Watergate break-in and the following court cases, he was never jailed or prosecuted. He soon left politics completely, and became a part of many successful businesses. The scandal of Watergate will continue to be studied for a long time; as long as Hugh Sloan is alive, his name will be next to one of the biggest scandals of all time in America.











 Citations:
 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2160868/Watergate-scandal-The-women-helped-Bob-Woodward-Carl-Bernstein-topple-Nixon.html (wife of Hugh Sloan)

http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=hugh_sloan_1 (role)

Link to general information on the Watergate
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/watergate/timeline.html

Political Participation

Although voting is a common way of participating in government, there are many other ways to be involved in elections and other political processes. Civil Disobedience and running for office are two very different ways of participation that are as equally effective as voting.
Civil Disobedience is defined as the refusal to comply with certain laws or to pay taxes and fines, as a peaceful form of political protest. This is a great way to receive a lot of media attention because most television viewers are attracted to spectacles, not information. Civil Disobedience attracts the attention of the media because of this.
Running for office is another way to participate in the political process. It is a very effective way of expressing opinions and representing the needs of others once elected into office. If many people agree with the opinions of an official attempting to run for office, the likelihood of being elected is better because of popular support.
People can participate in politics in other ways besides voting. It is very important for people to participate in politics to ensure an accurate depiction of what America wants. Without participation, our government and the decisions it makes are inaccurate and against what a democracy was founded upon.

Minority and Majority Power

Minority and Majority power has been an issue in the U.S. Government since its foundation. By establishing a more democratic government, control and power of the majority has been balanced, but there are still laws being created to suppress opinions. The one aspect of government that was originally created for the people is still in control of the people, however, measures are still being instituted to limit majority rule and promote a more democratic government.

The Legislative branch of government and the House of Representatives were originally most closely tied to the people because representatives were directly voted into power by voters. Representatives also have shorter terms in office, two years, which keep representation more current. The issues represent the state's needs because officers in the House are required to live in the state they represent. With changing times, it is very important to continue allowing voters to directly put representatives in power positions. This will not only keep voters happy thinking they have a say in government, but also keep representation actual.
The United States limits majority rule through the Bill of Rights and the Separation of Powers. The Bill of Rights protects minority rights, which in effect, limits what the majority wants. Flag burning is a right protected by freedom of speech, which is a minority right. Majority rule is also limited through Separation of Powers. The Separation of Powers affects the people indirectly because the representatives are required to participate in the checks and balances of government. The representatives then affect what happens in their state, which directly affects us directly. Appointed judges serve for life which limits majority rule.
Many 20th century developments have made the government more democratic. Primary elections are one example of this. Voters have more control over who is sent to the national party convention and have more control than political parties, which makes for a more balanced government. The 17th Amendment mandated the direct election of U.S. Senators. People now have a say in who they want in power positions, which is more democratic. Before this, caucuses were used and leaders made the decision, which is less democratic. The 17th amendment gives direct election to senators. Direct election shortens the process of election, giving more opportunity to the people for voting on laws.
Minority and Majority power will always be an issue. It is being improved by limiting control through the Bill of Rights and the Separation of Powers. Minorities and Majorities make up most of the voting population, which makes it important to keep the balance and protect the rights of the people that actually decide the fate of our country.

The New American Center

The New American Center has increased in size tremendously in recent years. There are key aspects of the ideology that make the American Center quite unique than what is perceived. I took the survey as well and found myself to be a part of the MBA Middle, which is basically the center and slightly to the left.

The Center is comprised of a diverse culture, ethnically speaking. The results of a survey show that the Center is a mixing pot of cultures and ethnicities as opposed to the right being mostly Caucasian and the left being both Caucasian and African American. I believe the mixing pot center provides a greater representation of the population, as it is a mixing pot of ethnicities as well.

As far as issues go, the center has a variety of opinions. On issues of affirmative action and illegal immigrants, there was never a majority of the group that agreed on the issue. For example, the end affirmative action was supported by 30% of the center, while 25% were neutral on the issue, and 7% opposed it all together. This mix of opinions still shows that the center has a strong opinion, but because some of the center, like me, have more right or left beliefs, will tend to disagree on most matters.

Although on most issues the majority of the center will not agree, 54% agree on the fact they are discontent with the way things are going in America. This includes how optimistic people are and control laws, such as guns. Most of the center are pessimistic about America's future, and most of the center do not own guns and believe background checks are necessary for the safety of schools and public places.

Religion is another issue that has a central opinion in the New American Center. A whopping 59% of the center agree that religion should pay NO part in government. This is most likely because the center is far less religious than the right or left. This doesn't mean the center is non-religious, as 29% say they make time regularly to pray and attend services. I pray regularly, but do not think religion should have anything to do with the government because there are so many religions that it would cause far more conflict than is already caused daily in government.

In conclusion, the Center is a mixing pot of beliefs. Although most disagree on one set view with issues, humanity and the well being of America as a whole are important to us. On controversial matters like and gay marriage, the center is open-minded to new ideas, and are neutral to the idea of making strict laws against anyone. This is important as America is revolutionizing into a "more modern" culture where ideas should be welcomed by all. The modernizing of our culture, in fact, starts with the welcoming of the New American Center as a viable source of opinion and growth.

Public Opinion Polls Feedback

**Are public opinion polls a benefit or a curse to American politics?  What influence do they have on campaigns?  On governing?  What do critics point to as the key weaknesses of public opinion polls? Do you agree?  Explain?

Public opinion polls are both a benefit and a curse to American politics. The polls are beneficial because they provide information on public opinion and allow political entities to pass laws and create change based on the needs of the people. Unfortunately, they are also a curse because sometimes the poll questions are biased to create the response the pollsters want, not the people. For example, an unbiased poll is one that asks the public if the think the government should continue sending troops to other countries, or extract troops. A biased poll is one that asks the people if the government should continue sending troops to other countries that will probably end in fatalities of many Americans, or extract troops and save potentially thousands of lives. These results are biased and create change that is not necessarily what the people want. 

Public opinion polls influence campaigns by not only selling politicians through key phrases, but negatively expressing the views of other politicians. Similar to the example above, a poll could be made days before an election by one politician negatively representing an opposing politic by saying something like "would you still vote for this person if you knew he wanted to increase taxation to the middle class of America?". 

One weakness of public opinion polls is that they create what is called the "bandwagon effect". This is the idea that people see the results of polls and vote for a certain person only because that is what everyone else is doing. I think this is a huge issue and creates uncertainty in government. Everyone should have their own opinion and if they don't have an opinion, then they shouldn't be voting. It may seem a little extreme, but having a smaller portion of the people expressing individualistic views is much better than having a large portion of the population voting just because everyone else is.

Political Knowledge Chart

About Me!

Hey Everyone! My name is Carly Fristoe and I am a Senior this year (yay!). This Summer I went on a trip to Vegas, which turned out to be a crazy adventure and full of fun. I am now working at a tech company and am excited for my last year at Summit. In five years I see myself graduating college and pursuing a career in Computer technologies.