(6) The impact of pressure groups

(6) The impact of pressure groups

1. Enviromental protection

   • End of 19th century environmental conservation became important,
   • Sierra Club formed
     • Behind the push towards stricter environmental protection
   • 20th century Wilderness Society and the National Wildlife Federation
     • Behind the push towards stricter environmental protection

2. Women's Rights

   • League of Women voters and National Organisation of Women pushed for ERA but unsuccessfull
   • Remain active - equal pay and job opportunities, against sexual harassment in work place and military
   • Involved in campaing to elect women to congress
     • Group EMILY List (Early Money Is Like Yeast)
       • Supports female candidates early on to allow them to gain more campaign funds

3. Abortion rights

   • Pro- choice and life Active
     • Pro-choice: want to preserve the constitutional right of women to have an abortion
     • Pro-life: want it narrowed or overturned
       • Involved in debate over "Partial birth abortions"
         • Bush signed a partial birth abortions ban
   • Both groups have fought over Supreme nomination process - Robert Bork 1987, Clarence Thomas 1991, John Robert 2005, Samuel Alito 2006

4. Gun Control

   • NRA - Most powerful pressure group in US politics
     • 3,000,000 members, founded in 1871 to teach american how to use guns
     • Since 1960's campaign to stop citizen "right" being infringed
     • Oppose toucher gun control at any level
       • Opposed the Brady Bill, assault weapons ban and law requiring back ground checks on those purchasing guns, and law requiring mandatory trigger locks on hand guns
   • NRA played role in District of Columbia v. Heller 2008, and debate on Sandy hook Shoot (20 Children, 8 teachers dead)

5. Economic inequality

   • Groups like International Occupy movement protest this.
     • Full media focus in 2011 Occupy of Zuccotti Park in New York
     • Caused all states to have similar occupations
     • Movement drove a lot of political debate
     • Support from American Labour Union and Obama Administration - sympathy with core values
   • Within a year disappeared from streets
     • Didn't tape in to political system like tea party
     • Main tactic was to Occupy hoping other would take action for them
     • Movement took a violent approach so authorities close down camps (health and public safety
     • No clear leadership and many young, unlike to vote so not going to be listended to by Democrats