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The Importance Of Interest Groups

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Many people hold a prejudice towards interest groups. They think interest groups are what is wrong with politics, and that interest groups are the ones who lie to the public, grease politician’s pockets, and interfere with sound politics. However, interest groups play a key part in shaping society within America. In fact, they are one of the most vital aspects of a successful democracy because they politicize and inform voters, help form public opinion, and are a form of participation that citizens can get involved with rather easily. Interest groups can legally form because of the freedoms given to us in the First Amendment of the Constitution. The First Amendment states that we have the freedom of assembly and the freedom of speech, along …show more content…

Interest groups such as Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR), the Texas Medical Association (TMA), and Christian Right groups have made significant and very noticeable differences in the lives of Texans. The Texans for Lawsuit Reform is a business interest group that changed the way people do business in Texas. The group was formed by businessmen who felt that they were often involved in unnecessary lawsuits, so they teamed up with the Texas Medical Association to try to stop as many people from filing the frivolous lawsuits. They then gave money to politicians to help them pass laws that would make it harder to sue in Texas. Because of the Texas for Lawsuit Reform, the Republican party now controls the Texas …show more content…

They gain this status by gaining support from individuals, getting people involved, and maybe most importantly, collect dues and donations from citizens. The money the interest groups raise is one of the main reasons that they are so powerful. They are able to pay for campaigns, studies, and polling, and this gives them a great boost over individual lobbyists or other less successful interest groups. Money is the driving factor behind their power, which also shows some of the weaknesses behind Texas politics and the flaws behind interest groups. Texas politicians get paid nearly nothing from the government, which means they have to be self-funded or find funding elsewhere. This can be hard because they have to support themselves and also spend money on campaigns, which can be very costly. Unfortunately, this means the money given by interest groups can have a very big influence on their votes, and that can make politics unfair for those who may not have as many resources or

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