When it comes to lawmaking in the present-day United States, many things influence proposed bills and passed laws, like current or possible issues the country could face noticed by the legislative branch. Most of the time, however, it’s things like the citizens of the country that bring attention to issues the legislative branch can’t or won’t exactly acknowledge themselves. It is so that makes individuals a large influence in lawmaking because of direct citizen involvement with the government, interest groups, and political bias and support. American citizens are given the options of being involved in what laws are issued by two processes: the initiative and the referendum. The initiative process allows citizens to propose laws to the legislature …show more content…
Interest groups are private organizations of people with common interests who work together to directly influence the government in hopes of satisfying themselves and those who share that common interest. Examples of popular interest groups include Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). These interest groups have done so much to pass laws to promote their agenda. Between the years 2012 and 2018, the DPA has had success in legalizing marijuana in nine states plus Washington, D.C3. As of 2015, MADD helped make it mandatory for ignition interlocks to be installed in the cars of convicted drunk drivers in twenty-five states4. The NAACP has done much to enforce laws against lynching in the twentieth century and other things like the Voting Rights Act of 19655. Interest groups work hard to influence legislators and many laws are passed because of their hard …show more content…
If someone was unhappy with how the country is being ran, there’s a wide variety to choose from for them to act. It could be said that despite so many, it’s not as effective because the people aren’t heard out as well as intended, which isn’t an entirely true claim. Citizens work very hard to influence the laws passed and laws that should be revoked or amended, and for the most part, are heard out and have things done because of their hard work. Lucky for the people that they are granted such opportunities, which others in other countries aren’t given the same amount of
Milam were guiltless of killing Emmett Till, Mamie Till-Mobley was the one receiving hate mail. She stated that “it was the white murderers who felt they were being victimized.” Things shifted in history when in 1909, an organization founded by W.E.B. Du Bois was established. This organization was known as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). They fought for racial equality as well as fighting discrimination in many court cases.
As a result of this, racist organizations were founded to wreaked havoc on former slaves. Secret societies in the southern united states, such as the Ku Klux Klan and the Knights of the White Camellia used violence against the blacks. Their goal was often to keep blacks out of politics. Our textbook states, “In other states, where blacks were a majority or where the populations of the two races were almost equal, whites used outright intimidation and violence to undermine the Reconstruction regimes” (Brinkley 368). The people involved in such organizations were using violence to take away the fifteenth amendment right from the former slaves.
While the NAACP participates in lobbying, their main political tactics have traditionally been grassroots organizing and litigation. Since 1913, when the NAACP began establishing branch offices (there are now over 2,000 units), the organization has based much of its success on local organizing efforts (“Oldest and Boldest”). In April 2016, they mobilized in Washington, D.C. in order to “protect voting rights, get big money out of politics, and demand an up or down vote on President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee” (“Democracy Awakening 2016”).
Later, it was affiliated with the NAACP and even in 1957, King joined its advisory
Alex Frost Values: Law & Society 9/23/2014 The Hollow Hope Introduction and Chapter 1 Gerald Rosenberg begins his book by posing the questions he will attempt to answer for the reader throughout the rest of the text: Under what conditions do courts produce political and social change? And how effective have the courts been in producing social change under such past decisions as Roe v. Wade and Brown v. Board of Education? He then works to define some of the principles and view points 'currently' held about the US Supreme court system.
As the Ku Klux Klan’s membership grew, organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which fought to end racial discrimination and segregation, grew as well. With these two growing groups pushing for opposite ideals, tensions continued to increase. The NAACP pushed for reform and rights for African Americans and the Ku Klux Klan combated their progress with lynching and
Groups such as “Black Lives Matter” protest the violence enacted against minorities at the hands of authority figures. Legal courts are designed
The United States currently faces a severe problem with one of their governmental processes. In the democratic system of the United States, politicians are elected by voting from the citizens, in most cases. The problem the United States is facing is that people are no longer voting in elections for officials. This problem is discussed in the article, “In praise of low voter turnout”, written by Charles Krauthammer. The main idea behind this article is that voters are no longer interested in politics, as they were in previous generations.
Even in 1890 16 black members of a council apart of the Louisiana General Assembly, came together and passed a law to prevent black and white people from riding together on railroads(A Brief History). Most of the blacks were scared of the whites not knowing who was going to lie to the mobs or police to have them get in trouble. Because of this the blacks would take the jim crow laws and would make parts of it actual laws so they could be seperated. Even in a trial to end the lynching blacks went and voted to be lynched so they wouldn't have to live in this life on the edge not knowing what could happen(Ku Klux Klan History) With over the 3,400 lynchings at least 300 of those lynchings were whites only. The KKK (the second version of the klan) would go after whites if they were defending the blacks or even if they aren't following their religion to a perfect replica(Lynching
As government does more for its citizens, more of their citizens become affected by government. Growing frustration with political parties, they believe the extremes are too liberal and conservative. The newest and most effective ways of effecting the government is by joining a third party or interest
An interest group is a group of people that tries to take action on a political issue or concern. The goal of an interest group is to recruit politicians as endorsements and persuade the government to take action on their respective issue. There are interest groups for mostly every issue or concern for the country. For example, the National Rifle Association and Brady Campaign are both interest groups that are concerned with gun control and gun violence. Both groups have stated their interests in influencing the American government to apply stricter gun laws and reduce the amount of shootings and deaths by firearms by a drastic margin.
One major tactic the activists used was political. They used this tactic in the Brown vs Board case. The NAACP had its team of lawyers put the case together to begin integration. chief legal lawyer for NAACP personally argued the case before the
The NAACP also “attacked segregation and racial inequality.”. Leaders of the NAACP “sought, first, to make whites aware of the need for
Question 1. The progressive period in US history started in the 1890s and remained current through the 1920s. Progressive leaders in the US include President Teddy Roosevelt, President William Howard Taft, and President Woodrow Willson. The main objective of progressives was to rid the government of corruption. These progressive leaders targeted political machines and worked to rid the country of monopolistic enterprises that were exploiting regular citizens.
The Civil Rights Movement provided us with many leaders for our young generation to emulate. The NAACP, more distinctly, has granted Black Americans a voice. From its founding in the 20th century by such legends as W.E.B Du Bois and Ida B. Wells, the NAACP has inspired the disenfranchised to speak. They have provided educational opportunities, legal actions, and monetary support for the advancement of our people. Most importantly, the NAACP has taught Black Americans that it is their right to dream.