Research Paper on:
Special Interest Groups: Health Care

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
to enact policy reform is both an arduous and complicated process by which change occurs at a slow pace. The efforts made by special interest groups help to proliferate  sought after policy changes and keep the wheels of reform well oiled, particularly when it comes to health care. Interest groups, a major  part of American society today, are organizations of people who share the same interest and attitudes about a particular topic, and endeavor to influence public policy. These groups are  normally organized for the purpose of being with people of like-minded moral reasons for the social aspect and to help with the economics in forwarding their belief in their cause.  With this understanding, it is no surprise why efforts toward health care reform have been significantly influenced again and again by such powerful interest groups. The effectiveness of  these groups are dependent upon such things as their size, location, intensity of their beliefs and how well organized they are as an organization in general; as well, these groups  are sometimes criticized for these same reasons. Oftentimes it is felt that some special interest groups have too much influence over the government and distort the issues by using  unethical practices. Their dealings with government officials are sometimes damaging to other causes, as well. At the same time, many special interest groups have done much to improve  American society, as in the case of health care and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). AARP - a collection of volunteers  who "organize, campaign, and work to inform the public about key issues concerning older people" (Anonymous, 1999, p. 98) - is one of many political action committees (PACs) praised for