Lobbying involves the advocacy of an interest that is affected, actually or potentially, by the

decisions of government leaders. Individuals and interest groups alike can lobby governments,

and governments can even lobby each other. The practice of lobbying is considered so essential

to the proper functioning of the U.S. government that it is specifically protected by the FIRST

AMENDMENT to the U.S. Constitution: "Congress shall make no law abridging the right

of the people peaceably to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Based on what you've read, should there be tougher restrictions and more strict

oversight on interest groups? Or, since they represent such a large group in society who

may not have an influential voice otherwise, is this in the best interest of democracy?

In reference to the contents that I have read from an article pertaining to interest groups, I

believe that stricter regulations and closer supervision are actions to be considered, as these

factions at often times, are regarded as being close minded in their attempts to promote the

interests of smaller groups, failing to take into consideration the general welfare. While some

may maintain the view that interest groups are exist through democracy, critics say that they

bypass this democracy by taking advantage and utilizing unfair practices such as corrupting the

political process to secure favors. Through their actions of continuously lobbying elected

officials and making contributions to the campaigns and PACs of these lawmakers, the

surroundings may come to perceive such donations as a method of buying the politicians

effectively. Another problem is the concept that interest groups permit the wealthy to possess

more power than they should in terms of seeing successful outcomes in relation to the amount of
 money. In addition to contributing to lobbyists, these groups use the money to gain public

relations campaigns, which can potentially mean that the groups with the money have a louder

say on issues than the other groups. Through an environment where relations between interest

groups and politicians, and their actions are monitored (how much power is demonstrated

through lobbying), such factions can hold the best interest of democracy since they foster public

opinions through a democratic process, have the capability to persuade legislators, and work to

provide a decisive solution.

Specifically, consider that there are very rigid limitations on how much money that

"we the people" can contribute to campaigns and, based on this, have very little individual

ability to influence decision-making in this way.

In terms of the limitations regarding the amount of money that we the people can contribute to

campaigns, the election cycle is the primary factor that accounts for the level of adjustments

required within some of the contribution limits that are laid out in federal campaign finance

laws. More specifically, individuals are restricted to the amount that they contribute on the basis

of the office that is sought by the candidate. If regulations were not implemented for campaign

contributions, then there is a high chance that corporations and individuals with sums of money

will seek excessive influence on lawmakers, and this is the practice which will lead some

Americans into thinking that they have very little influence in the decision making platform
 Should the government place more rigid limitations and more oversight on the

interest groups, who have access to greater funds, in an ability to allow all of our voices to

count equally? How and why?

I believe that the government should implement stricter regulations and supervision on interest

groups who have access to greater funds, taking into consideration the significance of all our

voices. As it is believed in the elite theory that there are the few groups that have the power

through lines drawn of class distinction, the union and workings of the elite and the government

allows the plans of the wealthy interest groups to be executed successfully. In a parallel

viewpoint, some citizens see that the existence of wealthy interest groups and big corporations

can cause problems such as competition for favors and an unbalanced articulation of voices,

leading to unequal representation. Without stricter limitations, affluent interest groups corrupt

their ways into the political process through their sums and attempt to win over crucial decisions.

In order to ensure a democracy where the governing process has citizens with an equal voice, the

government can exercise restrictions by becoming more responsive to public interests and

smaller interest groups, and perhaps even cutting the funds donated for lobbying and campaign

contributions by a certain percentage in order to see somewhat of a balance between the

contributions amongst diverse groups

Overall, do you believe the collective influence of interest groups override individual

citizen's ability to influence politics?

I believe that to a certain degree, the collective influence of interest groups overrides individual

citizen's ability to influence politics. In the democratic process that our nation is heading
 towards, the special and private interests have exercised power and influence over public policy,

with their affluence being a dominating factor in a realm of elections and the decision making

process. In terms of the correlation between wealth and influence, the concentrated wealth is

what may have caused our current political system to become less responsive to the interests of

the general public.

Lastly, give some examples of 21st century interest groups and how they have

influenced lawmaking. Be specific.

Some examples of 21st century interest groups include New Professionals Special Interest

Group (NPSIG), the DLF Assessment interest group, and Campaign for Working Families. The

New Professionals Special Interest Group is a group that has an aim to meet new information

professionals in the area of library and information science by arranging workshops, conferences,

and information sessions. The DLF Assessment interest group was formed in order to serve as a

platform where members can discuss ideas, issues, and solutions regarding digital library

assessments. The Campaign for Working Families is a national special interest group that focuses

on facilitating support for raising economic statuses of low income working households. A

relatively small interest group, NPSIG utilizes social media platforms, bloggings, and virtual

business meetings in order to discuss the overall developments, upcoming events, and future

projects. The DLF Assessment interest group scoped out some of their ideas by developing draft

recommendations that utilize web analytics. The Campaign for Working Families has raised

public awareness regarding their primary concerns through media campaigns and distribution of

literature collections through their voter education program.