0;It is vain to say that enlightened statesmen will be able to adjust these clashing of interests, and render them all subservient to the public good. Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm.” Madison and the founders realized that there would be instances when legislators would side with an interest for personal reasons rather than for the good of the constituency. During the time when the parties were very strong, it was harder to use a statesmen to your advantage if you were an interest group. Because all aspects of the agenda were controlled at the party level you either had to recruit a majority of the legislators, or the most powerful. With an increase in the power of the individual legislator, it should theoretically be easier to use a lawmaker to your advantage. This is not always the case. As the parties grow weaker and the individual legislator’s grow stronger, the influence by the interest groups is also growing weaker. More people than ever are joining interest groups. They are faced with the reality of less and less time on their hands. In most families both parents work, and even though they may want to take an active interest in a political issue, they cannot find the time. This is where interest groups come in. By joining a group they get the satisfaction of feeling that they are making a difference without taking too much of their precious time. When people join a group they do not see that group as a “lobbying” group. They might view other groups like that, but not theirs. When someone sees that there is a group advocating an issue that they are not in favor of, they will be inclined to join a group that is going to off-set it. This has led to the term “hyperpluralism”. Hyperpluralism means that interest groups are becoming smaller and more specialized, all the while increasing in number. This has a direct link on the effectiveness of the groups. With so many groups out ...
