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Google News 09/10: NRA sues over its designation as a domestic terrorist group
Lobbying has a long and controversial history in the United States. It refers to the activity of any advocate or organization that seeks, through financial compensation or any other persuasive measure, to sway lawmakers, voters, or the general public into supporting their causes. For better or worse, it’s an integral part of our political process: by some estimates, Washington, D.C. alone is home to 13,700 diligent lobbyists, each hoping to influence the minds of our elected officials.
Critics of lobbying believe that it puts unwelcome incentives on the part of lawmakers to support policies not necessarily for the sake of the greater good or legal considerations, but rather, for their own personal benefit. This is supported by the large amount of money payed by increasingly diverse special interest groups towards members of Congress. But really, the exact numbers here don’t matter: it’s simply enough for the public to suspect that it’s happening at all for a general suspiciousness and disillusionment to set in over our whole political process.
In the wake of a series of mass-shootings, the National Rifle Association — a non-profit organization and lobbying group which advocates for gun ownership rights — has come under intense scrutiny. Its critics argue that their pro-gun agenda is…
