Individuals and Groups Influence

As individuals we have the right to vote for a presidential candidate. However, it is the groups we create that chooses who wins the election. “Consequently most voters fear wasting their votes on candidates from small parties, since these parties stand little chance of gaining a plurality” (Katznelson, 2011, 97). People are more likely to follow their parent’s views and become a Democratic or Republican. In my own family, we are not big into politics (I am the first to have voted in my family), but I claim myself and undeclared. I believe this is because my parents never followed the political parties and picked a side. “American political parties blur issues, ignore new demands, and fail to adapt to new conditions”, but is this based off of the groups or individuals that want change? (Katznelson, 2011, 97). Many people feel that the political parties ignore the societies wishes. This could also be a result of the political parties themselves too. If the individuals in the political party groups disagree and the whole group can’t agree, then it may seem as if they are ignoring an issue when they could possibly be ignoring it and coming back to it, or maybe just throwing the idea out completely. In a way it can be like jury duty. When the whole jury agrees the person is guilty, the consequence is given. If the whole jury disagrees, then usually the person is let go with no consequence. But if there is conflict within the jury, then the case can be dismissed and nothing happens.

In Chapter 5, there is a section called A Comparative Perspective on American Interest Groups on pages 148-150 that talks about how interest groups are influential! It talks about how groups of people (especially interest groups in certain parties or topics) make a difference. Some ways groups of people help are by participating in court, committees, campaign assistants etc.

Some individuals have also helped create social movements. Rosa Parks did not give up her seat in the front of the bus and was hauled off because of the discrimination at the time. Martin Luther King gave his “I Have a Dream Speech” where he had said he had read somewhere we can protest to have rights. These little things that these individuals did created movements for the society and now groups or people either agree with or disagree with these decision that were created by these individuals actions. (Katznelson, 2011, 150-151)(Martin Luther King).

Katznelson, Ira, Kesselman, Mark, Draper, Alex. (2011). The Politics of Power, Capitalism and Democracy. pgs 97, 98, 148-151. Norton & Company, New York.

Martin Luther King Speech. “I Have a Dream”