...Ameer 2 SLO#2: 1 Lobbyist and Interest Groups in Texas Lobbying is widely carried out in the state government of Texas these days. Lobbyists are a group of individuals that make efforts to influence the elected government legislators to divert decisions in their favor. Interest groups are specialized group that support a certain legislation and they succeed in their goal with the help of lobbyist. After carefully analyzing both the articles I believe that there should definitely be more strict observance of the actions of interest groups and the activities of lobbyists as a single association with immense amount of wealth can alter the decision in their favor contradicting the norms and values of the society. eg Texas State Rifle Association (TSRA) is an old running organization with thousands of members and millions in funds, can easily turn the tables in their desired way by buying off legislators. (Legislation 1) This can result in a gun law being passed that can cause a sense of unsafety in the region of Texas giving air and free space to terrorism. On the other hand, interest groups and lobbying may play a positive role as it unites a community with same voice under one flag and can easily provide access to elected leaders with professional services which otherwise would have been nearly impossible. But this can still prove more beneficial for...
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...INTEREST GROUPS AND THE INFLUENCE THEY HAVE ON AMERICAN POLITICS Interest Groups (IGs) over the years have had more influence on American Politics than the average American citizen who votes in an election. These groups Lobby to get funding for what they believe is true; whether it’s one program or several programs they put together a solid organization to make sure they get their point across when election time comes around. These groups influence State and Government policy collectively on all levels. It can be the average citizen who goes around asking for you to sign petitions, it can be your own State Politician or Government Official who’s trying to birth a new program into existence. Interest Groups have very strong beliefs about what they are advocating. These groups at times feel so strong in their beliefs that sometimes they start protesting and even sometimes start riots. These groups come into fruition when people get together and start pulling their resources together. An individual can be highly educated, wealthy, or have a little socio-economic background to help further along their cause. Support and money goes along way when you have it to give and make things happen. Lobbying is a really big issue to these groups, because that’s how they are able to maneuver through the “red tape “ of Politics in any social realm. The lobbying starts when IGs are fighting to protect their respective turfs; meaning each Group is trying to get some kind of program...
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...Govt., Business, NGOs – Interface between them in the rise of globalization BUSINESS ETHICS PROJECT Govt., Business, NGOs – Interface between them in the rise of globalization BUSINESS ETHICS PROJECT Chand Ajmera, PGP/17/192 Ananya Jha, PGP/17/194 Shraddha Srikhande, PGP/17/240 Dinesh Kumar V, PGP/17/248 Chand Ajmera, PGP/17/192 Ananya Jha, PGP/17/194 Shraddha Srikhande, PGP/17/240 Dinesh Kumar V, PGP/17/248 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 2. ROLE OF CSOS IN BUSINESS GOVERNMENT INTERFACE 3. LOBBYING - INTRODUCTION 4. ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF LOBBYING 5. EXAMPLES OF LOBBYING 6. ACTIONS BEING TAKEN TO CURB THE UNETHICAL ASPECT OF LOBBYING 7. CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS 1. INTRODUCTION The growth and function of every business is highly dependent on the government. A large number of government actions in addition to laws and regulations affect companies’ finances. There are several reasons behind regulation of business by the government. 1. Public safety and welfare: Many industries are regularly reviewed and overseen because their activities, if they go skewed, can have detrimental effects to human health, financial well-being, or community structure. [21] 2. Protecting industry: Many regulations are in place to protect those who have developed their business correctly; licensing, permits, and inspections by the government clear out criminal activities that challenge truthful industries. [21] 3. Revenue...
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...Are interest groups in the USA too powerful? Interest groups are an organised pressure group in which members hold similar beliefs and actively pursue ways to influence government. Unlike political parties, which seek to win control of government, pressure groups are principally interested in influencing those to determine policy. There are different structures of pressure groups within the United States, for example there is a predominance of business groups, the larger pressure groups (e.g. NRA) tend to have a wider scope of insider activity and the evolution of associated Political Action Committees by focusing on the funding side. In this essay I am defining ‘too powerful’ as something that is a hindrance to democracy. On the one hand there is the pluralist view on pressure groups. Many believe they provide true representation for the ordinary citizens between the long stretches of elections. Interest groups provide a valuable addition to any democracy in which the range of views and beliefs can be heard and fed into the decision-making process. Pressure groups highlight the inherent value of the first amendment to the constitution, which formally protects the freedom of speech and the right to petition for the remedy of grievances. In this light, pressure groups can effectively never be too powerful, as they are providing a source for ordinary citizens to participate in politics, which they normally don’t get to do between elections. Pressure groups offer many forms of...
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...1. Interest groups- organization of people who share political, social or other goals; and agree to try to influence public policy to achieve those goals. 2. Alexis de Tocqueville- French political writer noted for his analysis of American institutions 3. public goods - benefits that everyone gets whether or not they join the group, 4. private goods- benefits that ONLY come to those who are members 5. free rider problem- Why would anyone join a group that will provide benefits to everyone regardless of membership? 6. union shop- anyone working for the company has to join the union or at least pay a part of the dues to cover cost of negotiating contracts 7. right-to-work laws- outlaw union shop contracts 8. benefits for group membership: solidarity- make people feel good for joining a group and working with others to make the world a better place. 9. Material- include things like discounts on goods or services, or low cost life or auto insurance. 10. Information- provide members with information that they find interesting and useful. 11. “Federalist Number 10”- how the new government created by the Constitution would help deal with the problem of factions. 12. Faction- He lumps parties and interest groups togetheras including both large groups (majority factions)and small groups (minority factions) ofpassionate people who are united bysome interest. 13. democratic pluralism- checking and balancing 14. lobbying- those activities...
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...Advocacy Groups - an association of individuals or organizations who unite to actively support or defend an idea, usually to influence policies or resource allocations through media campaigns, public presentations, publicity, and legislative lobbying efforts; GROUP WHO TRY TO RAISE AWARENESS AND INFLUENCE POLITICS AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION advocacy groups are broader. interest groups are more specific. for example an environmental group would be an advocacy group and a group to save the rainforest would be an interest group. Amicus Curiae - “Friend of the Court.” A brief filed in a lawsuit by an individual or group that is not party to the lawsuit but that has an interest in the outcome. SOMEONE, NOT BELONGING TO ANY PARTY, VOLUNTEERS TO OFFER INFORMATION TO ASSIST IN A CASE, WHICH IS WHY IT MEANS FRIEND OF THE COURT Astroturf - refers to political, advertising or public relations campaigns that are designed to mask the sponsors of the message to give the appearance of coming from a disinterested, grassroots participant (i.e. fake grassroots); FAKE GRASS/FAKE SUPPORT; OPPOSITE OF GRASSROOTS; Creating the impression of public support by paying people in the public to pretend to be supportive. Bundling - A tactic in which PACs collect contributions from like-minded individuals (each limited to $2000) and present them to a candidate or political party as a “bundle,” thus increasing the PAC’s influence. Checkbook Membership- send in money to be a member A checkbook member is...
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...For William Domhoff, it has become apparent, as to many other elite theorists, that capitalism is now interlacing with politics, in such a way that corporations are now able to determine and effectively influence the direction that government policies should take. This corporate power uses a certain number of mechanisms, strategies and processes whether legal or illegal, official or unofficial, to reach that end (Domhoff, 1990). In this essay, I aim at establishing and describing these processes as well as evaluating their impact on society. Concurrently, I shall evaluate and analyse this argument. Before establishing these strategies, I believe it is important that one be aware of what makes the corporate power elite and how it has managed to create a network or upper class and even corporate community network to determine domestic/national policy. Modern capitalist societies are not simply made of the upper class and corporate communities who as Domhoff argues, include all large income-producing property owners who also happen to control all the source of capital, thus constituting both a social and economic class (Domhoff, 2010: 7) at the top of the social hierarchy. There are also a variety of non-profit associations that are significant because they structure and determine the different discussions over public policy as well as the public opinion which, indeed, matters most to governments (Wetherley, 2008). Although they have been qualified of non-partisan or bipartisan...
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...on creating and develop law. The purpose of this essay is providing some clear information and helping some people recognize the role of judges. To understand the role of judge, people should know who judges are or what they do. Firstly, judges are people who supervise a court of law. Exactly, the role of a judge depends on what country that judge works in, and what kind of court they preside over. Judges must be fair and honest. They must make decisions and give guidance based on the most authentic to the law, even if he or she does not personally agree. Because of this, the job of a judge is very important (Kagan, 2010). Next topic is the role of judges in creating law. With the assumption that the positive law has limits and sometimes the judges are supposed to expand its borders, people must understand what a positive law is, why it has limits and why and how a judge can change the and expand the law when it is necessary. The positive law mean the law that is sanctioned by the Parliament and Legislature, produced by legitimate and democratically elected representatives, systematized and accepted by the society. In democratic societies and countries, this law is a result of the work of elected officials and it reflects the political and social goodwill of the majority of people and the pressures of the groups with special interests. However the social preferences always change, the majorities are mobile, and the lobbyists are different. One law or statute reflects the intent...
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...UNIT 2 Answer Key CHAPTER 5 IV. Section 4: Party Organization A. Structure Federalism, nominating B. Organization at the National Level 1. convention 2. chairperson C. State and Local Organization 1. election, caucuses 2. wards Prereading and Vocabulary 2 1. should cut back on expensive government programs Sample definition: Conservatives believe in cutting costs and government programs. 2. came to vote Sample definition: The electorate is the group of people who are allowed to vote. 3. voted at the polling place, elementary school Sample definition: A precinct is a small area from which all the residents report to vote at one location. 4. wards 5. bipartisan 6. nominate 7. Liberals 8. resign CHAPTER 5 Section 1 Reading Comprehension 3 1. Answers for rankings will vary. Historical basis: The two-party system is rooted in the beginnings of the U.S., when the ratification of the Constitution gave rise to the first two parties. Tradition: Most Americans accept the idea of a two-party system simply because there has always been one. Electoral system: Since only one winner per office comes out of each election, voters have only two viable choices—the candidate of the party holding office or the candidate with the best chance of replacing the current officeholder. Voters tend to think of a vote for a minor party candidate as a wasted vote. Republicans and Democrats work together in a bipartisan way to write election laws to make...
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...Facts Public interest groups have become increasingly critical of the food industry. Childhood obesity has become epidemic in the United States. According to the American Journal of Business Education, “One-third of the population of US children is considered obese and two-thirds of the adult population falls into the same category.” A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation states that between the time periods 1963-1970 and 1999-2000, the percentage of overweight children aged 6 to 11 skyrocketed from 4.2 to 15.3 percent. (341). Many feel that this is a result of the food industry’s targeting of young children with deceptive advertisements promoting unhealthy processed foods. In January 2005, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated claims that McDonald’s violated New York State’s consumer protection act by falsely advertising the health benefits of its food. (341). Responding to the public pressure, Kraft Foods in January 2005 made a major shift in their corporate marketing policy. (341). They would stop advertising such products as Kool-Aid, Oreo cookies, Chips Ahoy cookies, and selected varieties of Lunchables and Post cereals in television, radio and print ads directed at children younger than 12. (342,343). In so doing, Kraft was conceding that such advertisements might, in fact, adversely impact the health of young children. According to Michael Mudd, a member of Kraft’s “obesity strategy team,” Kraft made this decision to avoid a decades-long court battle...
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...Chapter 14 1. What policies were put into place to increase employment and reduce lay-offs? The government hands out subsides to companies that keep surplus workers and a shor-time compensation program that allows employees to collect unemployment in exchange for reduced hours at work. A private employer-employee work arrangement that also accomplishes a similar goal of working time reduction during slack demand by allowing German companies to set up working hours accounts for their employees. In turn this helps employers to adjust the amount of work done to face peaks and troughs in production without having to its employee’s overtime. 2. Can unions/works councils increase employee interests? The job alliances increase works councils’ input into company strategy and the crisis has drawn employers and work councils closer together. Both are determined to defend and increase Germany export success. Public and private policies are structured so that economic downturn is minimized through burden sharing-rather than asking a few to take on the burden through lay-offs, the German model asks more workers to share the cost and as can be seen from 2008-2009. 3. Can a recession create an innovative approach to managing a labor force? The number of people of working age in western Germany shrank for the first time and the companies the hardest hit were those threat were already having problems recruiting skilled worker. To face this scarcity many firms have developed a “dual...
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...Courts Beyond a Reasonable Doubt 14th Amendment Preponderance of Evidence Majority Opinion of Supreme Crt Federalism Reserved Powers Police Powers Enumerated Powers Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) Roe v. Wade (1973) Commerce Clause McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) Supremacy Clause Necessary & Proper Clause Civil Liberties v. Civil Rights Incorporation Doctrine Brown v. Board of Education (1954) Party Primary General Election Closed Primary Open Primary Caucus Electoral College Gerrymandering Advise & Consent Filibuster & Cloture Speaker of the House Senate Majority Leader Standing Committee Conference Committee Pork Barrel Legislation Logrolling Council-Manager System Interest Group Public Interest Group Lobbyist Political Action Committee (PAC) Presidential Veto Inherent Powers The Appointment Power Treaty Power Department of State Commander in Chief Impeachment Take Care Clause Bureaucracy Rulemaking Patronage **New Terms for Unit 5** Agents of Political Socialization Socio-Economic...
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...Essay for Make the Rules or your Rivals Will November 22, 2011 "Make the Rules or your Rivals Will"! It is the name of the game and a strategy to win at your opponent. Wow, what a powerful statement in today's business world! Upon reading the book by Richard Shell, the title alone captures the pure essence of how businesses have utilized the legal system to their advantage since the early 1800's. Businesses are formed on a daily basis and can range from a mom and pop sole proprietorship, a big corporate giant to the masses, or a huge conglomerate government business to maintain the laws of the land. Law and business are interrelated and one cannot survive without the other and the glue that binds them together is legal strategy. The legal environment in which businesses operate is becoming more complex and companies must understand the basics of business law if they want to avoid legal entanglements. Situations that present potential legal problems arise everyday in most businesses and owners need to be aware and posture themselves to handle these issues effectively and quickly. There would be pure chaos in today's capitalistic society if there was not a standard way of doing business because business needs are always evolving from decade to decade. Back in the 1800's there were not any class action lawsuits, litigation explosions, securities regulations or antitrust laws. The business arena needs a way to change the rules as it relates to the business...
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... The main medium we use to communicate and our language determines how such a presentation takes place. As we go on in this essay, we will see that there are quite a number of linguistic features which enable the writer of story or text convince those reading about their point of view. With the help of ideology, we are able to produce values and meaning for a specified readership, and this is done mainly from repetition and the way points of view and interpretation are presented. Facts that are generally seen as complex are presented in a way that helps the viewpoint of the readership to be structured and also allows them to create versions of the world in a microspecific manner. The information given explicitly does not only influence the media contents of the audience but it also influences the absences. The term hegemony is used by Gramsci and he says that “…..the ruling He talks about how those that roledont only make ideology on others forceful but how they provide different principles which later mould ideaological elements into something for the world to see(Berkovitz. 1997. P.425) The question we need to answer now is who exactly these people who are powerful are and how do they manage to send their message across to the readers and general audience. Also we need to find out where they get their help from and why they have an interest in forcing their points...
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...Essay Questions (Ch 9) 1. Identify and briefly discuss the four distinguishing characteristics of a mature (well-functioning) group. The distinguishing characteristics includes (1) a clear purpose and mission, (2) well-understood norms and standards of conduct (3) a high level of group cohesion (4) a flexible status structure. Stating the purpose in terms specific goals enhances productivity over and above any performance benefits achieved through individual goal setting. Behavioral norms for high performance and productivity set above organizational norms characterizes high performing work groups. Smaller groups tend to be more cohesive than large groups, and cohesion based on attraction results in effective control over members with respect to important performance norms. Successful resolution of authority issues within a group result in a well understood status structure. This contributes to group functioning. 2. Describe the five stages of Tuckman's Group Development Process. What individual and group issues are addressed in each stage? Forming Storming Norming Performing Adjourning Individual How do I What's my What do the How can I Whta's issues fit in? role here? Others expect best perform next? ...
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