Power in Congress Essay -- essays research papers

Power In and Over Congress I feel the system is biased because there are inequalities among the representation and participation of interest groups and constituents in the political system. Unfortunately, poor and uneducated citizens aren’t as organized as interest groups, lobbyists and PACs because they lack the money, resources and connections necessary to influence congress members on legislative bills. It is evident that, â€Å"businesses, interest groups and labor unions are spending more than $100 million a month to lobby the federal government†(Associated Press, SFC, 3/7/98). â€Å"The actual population of interest groups in Washington surely reflects that there is a class bias in the membership of interest groups†(JBG). â€Å"Interest groups are organized bodies of individuals who share some political goals and try to influence public policy decisions. Representatives from interest groups are referred to as lobbyists† (JBG). â€Å"Lobbyist seek to bring about the passage or defeat of legislative bills and to influence congress, often using large sums of money in a variety of ways to influence legislative outcomes† (APD). I feel that lobbyists have a great deal of influence within congress because they may have direct connections with congress members in high positions. Through PACs, organizations can pool campaign contributions from group members and donates those funds to candidates for political office. Personally, I feel that PACs have the most influence over congress because their ...