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Interest Groups in Texas

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Interest Groups in Texas
In this essay I will compare and contrast the different legislative agendas of various interest groups involved with the Texas Government. An interest group (also called an advocacy group, lobbying group, pressure group, or special interest) is a collection of members that are determined to encourage or prevent changes in public policy without trying to be elected. The essay will discuss the four kinds of interest groups, trade, professional, single and public, as well as provide one detailed example of each type. It includes examples from the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, Texas AFT, MADD and TexPIRG interest groups, which are just a few of the many groups in existence out, but it provides an idea of what different types of interest groups are available and how they effect our government in Texas. The Texas Alliance of Energy Producers represents the interests of the oil and gas industry at both the state and federal levels of government and it is the largest state independent oil and gas associations in the nation. The Alliance is committed to ensuring the energy policy of the future will be one in which our members can grow and prosper. It also brings together members in 300 cities and 29 states for the common purpose of protecting the oil and gas industry and developing programs, such as insurance and public education, to make them more profitable. The Alliance's effectiveness relies upon speaking with one, unified voice to represent the opinions of all its members. In addition to the “unified voice” strategy, the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers utilizes government contacts and supporters, including the Governor’s office, Texas House members, Texas Senate members, the Texas Railroad Commission, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and other contacts throughout the federal government, to push legislation through in their favor. Association members testified before a U.S. Commerce Department hearing on the threat of crude


Cited: AFL-CIO. "Political Action." Texas AFT - Home. Web. 08 July 2010. . "Interest Group: Definition from Answers.com." Answers.com: Wiki Q&A Combined with Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Encyclopedias. 2010. Web. 08 July 2010. . MADD National Home. "MADDTEXAS." - Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Web. 07 July 2010. . MADD National Home. "Mothers Against Drunk Driving - Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving - Laws." - Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Web. 08 July 2010. . Quotesea.com. "I Don 't Care Much about Big Corporations, Frankly...." Home - Quotesea.com. 2010. Web. 08 July 2010. . Texas Alliance of Energy Producers. "Welcome!" Texas Energy Alliance. 2010. Web. 08 July 2010. . TexPIRG. TexPIRG. 2010. Web. 07 July 2010. .
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