Assignment:
Our last discussion is covering interest groups. You have the OpenSecrets.org website to go to to review which candidates are receiving money and from whom.
Link to OpenSecrets. org website:https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/mems.php
Background Information for question: When you go to the OpenSecrets.org web page you will see the top 50 interest groups and the candidates they donate to. In addition, notice the box above the names where you can filter between the top 25 Republican interest groups and the top 25 Democratic donor interest groups. Notice whose name comes up the most regardless if it is a republican or democratic interest group donating. When you toggle between the top 50 or top 25 interest group list you will see the candidate that receives the greatest donations is Charles E. Schumer - D NY.
Schumer, a Democrat is the Senate Majority Leader which is one of the most power political positions you can hold in our country. The senate majority leader controls the agenda and process on every bill that comes up for a vote in the senate. Schumer has been a NY senator since 1999. He is also the dean of New York's congressional delegation. This makes him a very powerful and highly influential elected official.
Question to answer: Schumer is working aggressively to get all of President Biden's policies passed into law. If this is the case and he is a Democrat then why are the most powerful Republican interest groups committed to donating so much to Schumer?
Things too think about: "Who's got the most juice on Capitol Hill? Here's a list of the top interest groups contributing to members of the 116th Congress during the 2021-2022 election cycle. The first list shows the overall 50 biggest interest groups. The other two highlight the top 25 interest groups giving to members of each of the two major parties. In all cases, the Top Recipient listed is the individual member of the 116th Congress who received the most from the interest group. Totals shown here include only the money that went to current incumbents in Congress...."
Background: No one gets elected into political office without donations from interest groups.
• An interest group is any organization whose members share common objectives and which actively attempts to influence government policy.
• An interest group is an organization that actively attempts to influence government policy
• Interest groups allow individuals' opinions to appear more powerful as they join with other like-minded individuals and attempt to influence the course of governmental policy
• Unlike political parties, interest groups do not attempt to gain control of the government; rather they attempt to influence governmental policies.
• Often, interest groups employ lobbyists, who attempt to influence policy by communication with policymakers.