The Role of Interest Groups on E-Verify in the United States

Abstract

All phenomena of government are phenomena of groups pressing one another, forming one another, and pushing out new groups and group representatives (the organs or agencies of government) to mediate the adjustments. It is only as we isolate these group activities, determine their representative values, and get the whole process stated in terms of them, that we approach to a satisfactory knowledge of government.

The introductory quote alludes to the emergence of interest groups as a natural reaction to democratic representation. As policies are created, the interests of individuals are aligned or divided. The opposition of interests creates a forum in which groups form to rally for or against policies resulting in the inevitable creation of interest groups. Throughout this paper, interest groups will be defined as membership and non-membership organizations working to obtain political influence. The success or failure of public policies is contingent on public awareness, media attention, and general feasibility of the issue. Interest groups have become a legitimate force in supporting or opposing public policies. “Elements in interest-group power include size, resources, cohesiveness, leadership, and techniques, especially the ability to contribute to candidates and political parties, as well as the ability to fund lobbyists. The actual power of an interest group stems from the manner in which these elements relate to the political and governmental environment in which the interest group operates.” The many important stakeholders that take part in advocating for or against a policy have varying degrees of influence. This paper studies the necessary components that enable interest groups to act as a lead contributor to policy development. In this paper, I employ the case study of E-Verify, an employment verification program, to examine the ways in which interest groups have advocated for and against E-verify and infer why interest groups have thus far been successful or unsuccessful in their pursuit to achieve their political goals. To date, the United States has struggled to implement successful employment verification programs to ensure an authorized workforce.