An introduction and a summary of the interest groups in the united states

Table of Contents Overview The famous French writer on American government and society Alexis de Tocqueville once wrote that America was a nation of joiners. This facet of American political life has not changed since de Tocqueville made his observation in the nineteenth century. Americans are much more likely to join political and social organizations than people in other countries.

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content: Copper bio Robert G. An Introduction to the Role of Interest Groups.

Rowman and Littlefield, Policy Toward China assesses the impact that interest groups in the United States have had on debates leading to the formulation and implementation of U. According to Robert Sutter, in there was a collapse of consensus over U. Sutter focuses on several "hot button" issues: The author believes, as do most other China scholars, that U.

After it was different: Congress assumed a bigger role, and interest groups gained leverage in considerable part because they could make their views and desires for change in U. This "new situation" is more salient than one might at first have thought.

Sutter, in fact, says that it helps explain why George Bush was not reelected in and why Bill Clinton's foreign policy vacillations led to the Taiwan Strait crisis. Bush tried to ignore Congress in making China policy, hurting his public image; Clinton developed the reputation for both insulting and possibly selling out Taiwan and for having a poor foreign-policy team, resulting in vastly increased Congressional pressure to make specific decisions affecting U.

AfterSutter says, the White House tried to take back control of China policy, but because of "donorgate" and Congress' low opinion of foreign-policy making by the Clinton team, it was not at all successful. In somewhat academic terms, the author defines the elitist model favored by Nixon and Kissinger and practiced by subsequent presidents including George Bush and to some degree Bill Clinton and the pluralist model that has in considerable measure replaced it.

He makes a comparison between "America first" views [End Page ] and "U.

Keep Exploring Britannica

Engagement, he argues, is the "moderate approach," though he, like a host of U. Sutter suggests it is the antithesis of containment, even though this seems to be a straw man since containment is obviously outdated and unworkable China has almost five times the population of the United States and has been growing economically four- to five-fold in comparisonand hardly anyone considers it a realistic or serious choice.

Sutter writes extensively about how business interests affect China policy. He notes that business interests have become more powerful as China's economy has boomed and so has their lobbying influence.

This, in fact, is one of the most interesting facets of this book and will probably be the most informative to a majority of readers. Sutter also cites the impact of Chinese Americans, human rights groups, unions, and think tanks.

The impact of these lobbying "groups" is not well understood, and Sutter has some enlightening things to say about them.

From the SparkNotes Blog

This reviewer, however, doesInterest groups play a major role in shaping public policies that impact business practices.

The following lesson will introduce you to the definition, purpose, theories, and examples of interest. Interest groups are active participants in the political scene, lobbying for certain causes.

these are ideological interest groups. A public-interest lobby will even benefit those people who are NOT members of it. The Politics of Power A CRITICAL INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN GOVERNMENT. US Government and Politics Forums. U.S. Policy Toward China assesses the impact that interest groups in the United States have had on debates leading to the formulation and implementation of U.S.

policy toward China, especially since According to Robert Sutter, in there was a collapse of consensus over U.S. relations with the People's Republic of China due in part to the end of the Cold War (which ended the strategic.

Oct 29,  · Watch video · The labor movement in the United States grew out of the need to protect the common interest of workers. For those in the industrial sector, organized labor unions fought for . Although most interest groups focus on domestic issues, some are concerned with foreign policy.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), for example, focuses on the Middle East and the relationship between the United States and Israel. For example, the oil and tobacco industries each have interest groups who promote their respective interests on Capitol Hill.

How Interest Groups Work Interest groups send representatives to state capitals and to Washington, D.C.

to put pressure on members of Congress and other policymakers.