SOC 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 25: American Civil Liberties Union, Aarp, The Power Elite
Document Summary
Lobbying the efforts of special interest groups and their representative to influence government officials. More than 12,000 lobbyists work to influence the fed. Political alliance of people interested in some economic or social issue. To pursue political aims by raising and spending money independent of political parties. Democracies rely upon the participation of fully informed individuals in selecting leaders. Fully informed publics rely upon: free and independent press, academic community engaged in unfettered research, open and critical discussion of all issues, ability of the public to openly and freely discuss issues and challenge leadership. What, me vote? (freeman 2003: parliamentary systems, election days as holidays (puerto rico, mandatory voting by law, voter registration, single federal voting law. Limited individual gifts to ,000 each to political candidate in any primary or general election. Individuals can give no more than ,000 in total gifts: a ceiling of ,500 to all candidates, ,500 to all political parties.
