Ryan Howe
U Course, POLS and ENGL
21 February 2017
Weekly Focus #4 RE-DO
Interest Group: Human Rights Campaign on LGBTQ+ issues
What are interest groups?
Interest groups​ are “organizations that, on behalf, of an interest or ideal, try to influence politics
and public policies”. They are simply the connecting string between the government and its
people, with lobbyist working for them. The goal of all interest groups are to change government
policy to benefit themselves and or their causes. Without them it would be very difficult for
people to express their opinion and thoughts on issues.
What are the main types of interest groups?
Interest groups are divided into five different categories; economic, societal, ideological, public
interest and governmental. Economic interest groups represent business, labor unions and
professionals. Societal Interest groups focus on age, gender, race, ethnicity and religion and
sexual preference. Ideological Interest groups take stances on controversial issues, and promote
liberal political philosophy. ​Public interest groups ​take stands for the common good, such as
human rights. Public interest groups and Ideological Interest groups can sometimes be confused.
And Lastly Government Interest groups are made up of local, state, and foreign governments,
that seek to influence policies and expenditures of the federal government. The way Interest
groups work is that they hire ​lobbyists​ who become representatives of the interest groups and try
to influence public officials. Lobbyist are able to do this through a process called ​lobbying​,
which is a series of activities such as informing or pressuring, in order to influence policymakers
to support a group’s interest. This whole process makes for issues discussed by the general
people to be brought up and solved in the political arena. An average person isn’t going to get
policy changed, but an interest group backed by many supporters and high level lobbyist will be
able to get their voice heard and their issues solved.
Why do you think some interest groups have a bad reputation? What social
purpose for interest groups serve?
Interest groups generate a lot of controversy, and some people even blame interest groups for the
many problems in america. However, others see them as one of more vital components of the
Democratic system. According
​
to an article from U.S. News, ​The Logic of Bad Policies by Liya
Palagashvili, “Politicians are in the business of maximizing votes, staying in office and
increasing campaign contributions”, where special interest groups on the other hand “are in the
business of protecting and advancing their interests via lobbying”. This means that “so-called
good” policies that harm interest groups are unlikely to be supported by politicians “whose goals
are facilitated by the same” interest groups. This is where the bad reputation towards interest
groups can come. Interest groups will become so invested in their own personal agenda that they
will become radical and cause other policies to not be passed.
Do you support any interest groups? What made you decide to support them?
One interest group that my pod and I support fully is the Human Rights Campaign, which
advocates for LGBTQ+ Equality in America. It is the largest civil rights organization focusing
on protecting and expanding rights for LGBTQ+ individuals, most “notably for advocating for
marriage equality, anti-discrimination and hate crimes, and HIV/AIDS advocacy” (HRC
Website). The group has done so many things to help the LGBTQ+ community, including being
the forefront of the fight for Marriage Equality in 2015 and influencing the U.S. Senate to pass
the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in 2013. The group “represents a force of more than
1.5 million members and supporters nationwide” and has become the poster child of support
towards the LGBTQ+ community (HRC Website). This interest group has a lot of credibility and
has really been an integral part of gay rights, which is what made me decide to support them.
In the wake of president trumps administration, continuously attacking minority groups, we can
see the importance and impacts of such interest groups can have. In the article from the Human
Rights Campaign, HRC Responds to reports that Trump Administration Plans to Rescind Trans
Students Guidance by Robert Flaherty, it discuss the issues that president trumps administration
has begun towards trans issues. The Human Rights Campaign has already began to battle this
issue, by asking citizens to contact their local governments. Its moments like these that make me
proud to say that I support an interest group that immediately and effectively helps and supports
a community that is so dear to me. Interest groups like these have become the buffer between bad
government decision like this one, and help the people voices be heard.
After reading Smith, Cook, Owen and Paletz, it’s clear that interest groups are very important
into making sure certain groups are represented in the political form. On the contrary,
Palagashvili, really gave us an insight on how the system on interests groups can be abused.
Causing negative connotation towards interest groups as a whole. It’s amazing how the actions
of few for selfish gains can really negatively affect a system that is made to benefit the majority.
As you can see through the article from the Human Rights Campaign, Flaherty really ties in the
ideas of how interest groups can really make a difference. Despite the negative things that
Palagashvili stated in his article, Flaherty really gives light to the other side of interest groups
and how beneficial they can be to the LGTQ+ community and other groups out there.
References
Flaherty, R. (2017, February 20). HRC Responds to Reports That Trump Administration Plans to Rescind Trans Students
Guidance. ​Human Rights Campaign Site.
(n.d.). In ​Human Rights Campaign. Retrieved March 2, 2017, from ​https://www.hrc.org/
Cook, Timothy E. , David L. Paletz, and Diana Owen. "Chapter 2 The Constitution and the Structure of Government
Power." The Constitution and the Structure of Government Power. 21st Century American Government and
Politics, n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2017.
Palagashvili, L. (2015, June 17). The Logic Of Bad Policies. ​U.S News.