End of 19th century environmental
conservation became important,
Sierra Club formed
Behind the push towards
stricter environmental
protection
20th century Wilderness Society and
the National Wildlife Federation
Behind the push towards
stricter environmental
protection
Women's Rights
League of Women voters and National Organisation
of Women pushed for ERA but unsuccessfull
Remain active - equal pay and job opportunities, against
sexual harassment in work place and military
Involved in campaing to
elect women to congress
Group EMILY List (Early
Money Is Like Yeast)
Supports female candidates early on to allow
them to gain more campaign funds
Abortion rights
Pro- choice and life Active
Pro-choice: want to preserve the constitutional
right of women to have an abortion
Pro-life: want it narrowed or overturned
Involved in debate over
"Partial birth abortions"
Bush signed a partial birth abortions ban
Both groups have fought over Supreme nomination process - Robert Bork
1987, Clarence Thomas 1991, John Robert 2005, Samuel Alito 2006
Gun Control
NRA - Most
powerful pressure
group in US politics
3,000,000 members, founded in 1871
to teach american how to use guns
Since 1960's campaign to stop citizen
"right" being infringed
Oppose toucher gun control at any level
Opposed the Brady Bill, assault weapons ban and law
requiring back ground checks on those purchasing guns,
and law requiring mandatory trigger locks on hand guns
NRA played role in District of Columbia v.
Heller 2008, and debate on Sandy hook
Shoot (20 Children, 8 teachers dead)
Economic inequality
Groups like International Occupy
movement protest this.
Full media focus in 2011 Occupy
of Zuccotti Park in New York
Caused all states to have similar occupations
Movement drove a lot of political debate
Support from American Labour Union and Obama
Administration - sympathy with core values
Within a year disappeared
from streets
Didn't tape in to political system like tea party
Main tactic was to Occupy
hoping other would take
action for them
Movement took a violent approach so authorities
close down camps (health and public safety
No clear leadership and many young, unlike to vote
so not going to be listended to by Democrats