Monsanto--Appointing, Legislating, and Lobbying Its Way to the Top
Political Science 101
4/23/13
Monsanto—appointing, lobbying, and legislating its way to the top Interest groups are defined as an “organized group of people that makes policy-related appeals” and they can have a profound effect on our government and society (Ginsberg, Lowi, and Weir 419).These groups represent their interests in the political arena in a variety of ways; they can get government officials appointed to government positions, lobby government officials, and fund media to advertise their message to mobilize public opinion and sway voters. Businesses interest groups in particular utilize these strategies, because there is an economic incentive in passing favorable laws and conveying a good image to government and the public. One business interest currently benefiting from their interaction with the Obama administration is Monsanto. Monsanto is a billion dollar company responsible for genetically modified seeds, the chemical Roundup and its associated Roundup ready crops, the toxic chemical substance Agent Orange, bovine growth hormones (rBGH), and the synthetic sugar substitute known as aspartame—to name a few. As a business interest group, it has been a terrific success in using government to push its agenda, much to the dismay of environmental activists, scientists, and concerned citizens who want their government to regulate businesses and protect the public. This paper will examine how business interest groups like Monsanto have been able to further their agenda under the Obama administration through the appointment of employees to federal positions, lobbying, and use of media to mobilize public opinion. 1) Appointment to Federal positions The appointment of employees in business to positions in government is a common occurrence today and is often referred to as “The Revolving Door”. This is the shuffling in and out of government and private sector jobs, and it is bad because it leaves these government officials with biases and the high
4/23/13
Monsanto—appointing, lobbying, and legislating its way to the top Interest groups are defined as an “organized group of people that makes policy-related appeals” and they can have a profound effect on our government and society (Ginsberg, Lowi, and Weir 419).These groups represent their interests in the political arena in a variety of ways; they can get government officials appointed to government positions, lobby government officials, and fund media to advertise their message to mobilize public opinion and sway voters. Businesses interest groups in particular utilize these strategies, because there is an economic incentive in passing favorable laws and conveying a good image to government and the public. One business interest currently benefiting from their interaction with the Obama administration is Monsanto. Monsanto is a billion dollar company responsible for genetically modified seeds, the chemical Roundup and its associated Roundup ready crops, the toxic chemical substance Agent Orange, bovine growth hormones (rBGH), and the synthetic sugar substitute known as aspartame—to name a few. As a business interest group, it has been a terrific success in using government to push its agenda, much to the dismay of environmental activists, scientists, and concerned citizens who want their government to regulate businesses and protect the public. This paper will examine how business interest groups like Monsanto have been able to further their agenda under the Obama administration through the appointment of employees to federal positions, lobbying, and use of media to mobilize public opinion. 1) Appointment to Federal positions The appointment of employees in business to positions in government is a common occurrence today and is often referred to as “The Revolving Door”. This is the shuffling in and out of government and private sector jobs, and it is bad because it leaves these government officials with biases and the high
Cited: * “Annual Lobbying on Agricultural Services”. The Center for Responsive Politics. Web. Retrieved 19 Apr. 2013. <http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/indusclient.php?id=A07&year=2012> * “Revolving Door” * Parness, Sarah. “New Law Spurs Controversy, Debate Over Genetically Modified Crops”. Web. Retrieved 27 Apr. 2013. <http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/04/new-law-spurs-controversy-debate-over-genetically-modified-crops/> * “Meet Michael R