Interest Group and Lobbying
Interest groups are important actors
in most political systems. As political parties become more broadly based, their
inherent aggregating function means that fewer interests are actually articulated
or advocated by the parties. Along with professional lobbyists, interest groups
provide another means to channel citizens' concerns to policy makers and administrators.
However, there are also significant concerns about the privileged access of
the richer and better organized. Related problems emerge from the direct campaign
donations made to politicians. On this page you will find material linking you
to a variety of interest groups, as well as to the nature and regulation of
lobbying.
For material specific to Canada, visit the Interest
Groups and Social Movements page in Nelson's Canadian
Politics on the Web.
Wikipedia ia a good starting point for basic information about how lobbying works in different political systems.
On a more practical note, the American
Civil Liberties Union provides some revealing insights into how to Take
Action in your community and some more material in their Activist
Toolkit. This advice offers some generic guidance for lobbying and community
activism, regardless of the issue involved.
Interest & Lobby Groups
Have a look at the variety of firms listed in Yahoo!'s "political
consulting" category, as well, this other listing of Canadian policy
organizations and 'think
tanks' actively involved in trying to influence the public policy agenda.
Examples of interest groups that lobby or campaign for favourable public policy
changes include:
- ACLU - American Civil Liberties Union - visit their section on issues before Congress that the ACLU is following and lobbying on.
- Animal Legal Defense Fund
- AntiDefamation League fights anti-Semitism
- Atlas Economic Research Foundation
- California Campaign Finance Reform - a group trying to limit the influence of political campaign donors
- Common Cause - Citizens working to end special-interest politics and reform government ethics
- Commonwealth Fund - a group with a range of programs aimed at advancing better medical care in the U.S.
- Friends of the Earth
- Greenpeace
- Health Policy Leadership Institute aims to train U.S. doctors & medical students in political action and advocacy.
- National Rifle Association - visit the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action for an example of a highly organized lobbying effort.
- Political Action Committees (PACs) - a list from Yahoo! of a type of organization in the U.S. directly aimed at promoting specific interests by supporting or opposing candidates in elections
- Traditional Values Coalition
- Women's Electoral Lobby (WEL) Australia
Gavel to Gavel Fund-Raising Hearings - CNN's coverage of the hearings into U.S. campaign financing. See CNN's accompanying features: Read an estimate of the very large amounts of money it is estimated that the tobacco industry has spent in lobbying politicians. Undermining Popular Government: Tobacco Industry Political Expenditures in California is a study provided by the Institute for Health Policy Studies at the University of California, San Francisco. See the related news item from Associated Press: