Interest Groups In The United States

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorUniversity, Bachelor's August 2001

download word file, 11 pages 0.0

Downloaded 81 times

Over twenty-five years ago, the study of interest groups barely did not exist, based on the fact that interest in itself was nonexistent. Today, many books have been published based upon the tedious and extensive studies that were performed amongst each group or groups. This provides as only a little of the background of Graham WilsonÃÂ¡ÃÂ¦s Interest Groups in the United States. The author states three justifications for the study of interest groups. Firstly, he sets out to prove why and how interest groups started developing so poorly in the United States based on past studies. Secondly, even if interest groups did not gain full momentum until recently, there existence within the political processes within the US makes them a viable study subject. And finally, the most important justification for observance of interest groups is their ÃÂ¡ÃÂ§changing pattern of interest-group activity.ÃÂ¡ÃÂ¨ The study of interest groups was a difficult and long road.

Theorists argued back and forth on the importance, issues, and separate ideas that each interest group had and its success from those characteristics. To clearly define the purpose of the book, Wilson states three question guidelines for the readers. First, the book shall answer what interests that interest groups support, pursue, and how they define those interests that they claim to represent. Secondly, the book will attempt to the types of people and the reasons behind the reason why they joined these interest groups in the first place. And thirdly, the book shall examine and answer the legitimacy of interest groups within their subject and how this authenticity has made them who they are and decided the success that they achieve.

Agricultural interest groups have always received some sort of aid from the government. The justification for this is quite obvious, in fact, but will still be defined.