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NRA & AARP: Interest Groups Comparison

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Compare the following interest groups, The National Rifle Association (NRA) and The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). What type of interest group each is (Anomic, Non-associational, Institutional, or Associational) and how each mobilizes its members to join and participate. What types of methods do they use to influence policy and public figures? How do these two interest groups engage with the executive and legislative branches?

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The solution provides assistance in putting together the set task that asks for the comparison of 2 different interest groups (see above); guidance is provided in terms of the methods used to influence policy and public figures as well as the executive and legislative branches of government.

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1. Compare the following interest groups, The National Rifle Association (NRA) and The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).

First, I will bore you (hopefully not too badly) with Rousseau's Social Contract, which I will attach. At the beginning of Book II, Rousseau discusses sovereignty and the "common good." Essentially, a diverse group of people has individual interests and group interests. Some of those may overlap, but typically the "common good" refers to the collective being of society. As an individual you may have an interest in smoking, and you have the right to do so. However, for the "common good" most states don't allow you to smoke in public places.

I will be specific to your question here. According to Rousseau, individuals sacrifice some of their own interests to be part of the larger collective and therefore the collective owes individuals certain benefits for being part of the group. When I read your question about comparing the NRA to AARP, I see the gun owners as having an interest that, arguably, is not essential to the common good. That statement would make a lot of people mad, I'm sure. However, when you compare the issues of gun ownership to the issues that face older ...

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