Influence on the Political Process

In my opinion, individuals influence the political process mostly through voting, but there are a few other ways they can make their opinions heard. Individuals can educate other people about their political views, and start social movements and interest groups. Rosa Parks is a great example of how an individual can tremendously influence the political process. Her protest on the bus in Montgomery, Alabama precipitated the Montgomery bus boycott, which eventually ended segregation on buses (Katznelson, 150).

This is also a good example of how social movements can be highly effective. The Montgomery bus boycott was a highly effective social movement. It lasted just over a year, and resulted in the federal court ruling in Browder v. Gayle, which declared bus segregation unconstitutional. The boycott was so effective because the African-American community (a large population) were the primary paying riders of the bus system, and they used alternative forms of transportation for a year, denying the Montgomery bus system the funds it needed to continue to run.

Interest groups and social movements influence the political process by mobilizing large numbers of people to work towards a common goal. Recent interest groups are more professional and specialized, so they are able to make less demands of members but greater demands of the government. Social movements use more unconventional and confrontational methods to influence politics. Social movements are riskier, so they are a more demanding form of political participation (Katznelson, 137). Since they are less organized and bureaucratic (Katznelson, 137) they have the ability to influence the political process in different ways than elections and interest groups, such as making government officials aware of their stance through media and protests.

Social movements have been very effective in the past. So, why have we seen a decrease in social movements and such a surge in interest groups in the twenty-first century?


Sources:
Katznelson, Ira, Mark Kesselman, and Alan Draper. The politics of power: a critical introduction to American government. 6th ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 2011. 2-12. Print.


"Rosa Parks' Life: A Call to Carry it On MELVIN DICKSON / The Commemorator v.15, n.3, 1dec2005." Mindfully.org | Mindfully Green. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2011. <http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2005/Rosa-Parks-Dickson1dec05.htm>.