Chapter 8

1. From figure 8.1 in the text, select one of the interest groups and do some research on their issues and beliefs.  What did you learn?  What did you find interesting?  Do you agree/disagree with their positions on issues? Why?

For this I chose the National Education Association. They are educators who want to see improvement in public schools. Their core values are: equal opportunity, a just society, democracy, professionalism, partnership, and collective action. Like me, they are concerned with the No Child Left Behind Act. They listed that it relied too heavily on test scores, takes away teacher rights, and ignores good local ideas. I agree with this, especially the part about relying too heavily on test scores.
2. Find an interest group with which you associate (positively).  What is the name of the group and what do you find persuasive about their position on issues?

There are many interest groups I like but I choose NOW (National Organization for Women) for this question. Their goal is to bring about equality for all women, eliminate discrimination/violence against women, etc. I think its important that there are interest groups to represent women.

3. Do interest groups have enough/too much/the right amount of power in the political system?  Most believe it's a fine-line balance between freedom of speech for the groups and keeping unfair persuasion out of government.  Where is that line and when is it crossed?

In general, I do not think they have too much power. I think it is a natural and common thing for people who have similar interests and beliefs to form groups. While some groups do have more power/influence than others, they tend to balance each other out. While they can have negative impacts, I think the positive outweighs the negative.