Essay on Money and Democracy’s Dilemma - 1588 Words

Money and Democracy’s Dilemma Americans hold sacred their freedom over all else and many have fought fervently to protect it even to their own death. Yet our freedom and our protected rights are at odds with the power and influence of money at all levels of government; none more obvious than those in Washington. It is precisely this freedom that makes the concept of interest groups and lobbyists a part of our democracy’s dilemma. In â€Å"The Interest Group Society,† Jeffrey M. Berry and Clyde Wilcox state: The dilemma is this: If government does not allow people to pursue their self-interest, it takes away their political freedom†¦although the alternative- permitting people to advocate whatever they want- is far more preferable, it also†¦show more content†¦In â€Å"The Sound of Money, How Political Interests Get What They Want,† Darrell M. West and Burdett A. Loomis state â€Å"Strong organization and control of financial resources have allowed many interest groups to exercise substantial –even disproportionate- influence in American politics† (205). Those with the most money and deepest pockets have the greatest resources in order to provide favors to legislators. It is with this money and its power that bonds and relationships are created allowing a lobbyist to ask for favors. In turn, these favors result in legislation that benefits the interest group. â€Å"This creates serious problems in terms of representation. To the extent that elected of ficials listen more to or are influenced by those who are wealthy†¦it skews out representational system in favor of the haves over the have-nots† (West and Loomis 229). This means the sector that primarily benefits from interest groups are big businesses. The wealthy corporations attain the most benefits and their self-interests become the forefront in Washington. West and Loomis expand on their point in saying: The dilemma for democracy is that not everyone has equal access to financial resources necessary for often elaborate efforts. If there were rough equity among various interests, money would not be so problematic. However, when a few interests have large amounts of money and many have little, democracyShow MoreRelatedAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Social Contract Theory1351 Words   |  6 PagesThe term social contract represents implied agreements by which people form democracy’s and maintain a social order. This means that the individuals give up some of their rights to a government in order to receive security and social order. The social contract theory rationalizes why it is in one’s best interest to willingly give up their natural rights in order to acquire the many benefits provided by a social structure. I will argue that the social contract theory justifies the concept that stateRead MoreReaction Paper : The End Of Poverty3923 Words   |  16 PagesOctober 2014 Reaction Paper: The End of Poverty The most pressing problem in today’s world that bleeds into other social problems and helps perpetuate them is poverty. When Americans and other Westerners think of poverty it is easy for many to send money to a charity of their choice with knowledge and comfort that they contributed to help better the lives of the poor. Then again it is not difficult either to dismiss the plight of the poor while people lead individualistic lives and adapt an out-of-mind-out-of-sightRead MoreManagement History Essay10156 Words   |  41 Pagesuse of some yardstick of utility (usually money). * Has the ability to choose the alternative that maximizes utility. The concept simply means that a typical person was assumed to make decisions so as to maximize that persons own utility or self interest. Unfortunately, since no one has been able to come up with a better method of measuring utility, self-interest has traditionally been interpreted to mean economic self-interest as measured by money. The economic man assumption of rationalRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesfrontier populations produced both higher wages and increased opportunities for employment and trade. At the same time, increased commercialization impacted rural relations around the world, creating both the need and the opportunities to spend money earned through the wages of migrants. The growth of commercial agriculture and rural industry also provided an impetus for seasonal rural-to-rural moves.7 In Europe alone, this type 12 †¢ CHAPTER 1 of migration increased nearly ten times