Interest Groups in Texas, US

Throughout the nation there are many different interest groups from large national interest groups to small regional interest groups, Texas is no different. There is an innumerable amount of interest groups operating in the state of Texas. The main goal of an interest group is to get a piece of legislature passed that aligns with their goals or vision. Some of the more influential interest groups in Texas are Texas NAACP and the Texas State Rifle Association. A couple of interest groups that have been underrepresented in Texas are the NARAL Pro-Choice Texas and the Texas Equity PAC.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NCAAP) is a national organization focused on the empowerment of colored people throughout the nation (“Texas NAACP History.”). NCAAP Texas is no different, they strive for the advancement of colored people. There have been many successes in Texas through the NCAAP. The NCAAP in Texas is one of the more influential interest groups due to the fact that it is also a national interest group and has far reach resources. With these resources they can reach out and receive help from anywhere in the country to battle whichever dilemma they are faced with. They have had multiple successes in the national stage as well as the local stage in Texas.

The Texas Rifle Association is one more influential interest group in Texas. Founded in 1919 the TSRA is located in Austin, TX and their main goal is to support the 2nd Amendment, which is the right to bear arms (“LEGISLATIVE.”). They are influential due to being the only full-time firearms advocate lobbyist in Texas (“LEGISLATIVE.”). Some of their successes have been the open carry on campus implementation. This allows students to carry firearms on campus in the state of Texas. Also the open carry piece of legislation which allow the use of open carry in the state of Texas too effect due in part to their lobbying.

There are however interest groups that are underrepresented in Texas. One of which is the Texas Equity PAC. The Texas Equity PAC is a group that advocates for the LGBT community of Texas (“Texas Equity PAC.”). Their main interest is to put in effect pro-equality polices and legislation through the election of pro-equality candidates. This group has not been around for very long and does not have many supporters in the state legislation. They do however endorse five officials in the state government for their pro-equality work (“Texas Equity PAC.”).

Another underrepresented interest group in Texas is the NARAL Pro-Choice Texas interest group. They are a group that revolves around feminism and in a conservative state like Texas, they are an afterthought. Their main mission is “to guarantee every Texan has the right to make personal reproductive health decision and to guarantee access to the full range of options” (“2017 Texas Legislature.”). This interest group targets women who need abortions, and feel that this is a human right to have control over their bodies. Being in a conservative state, many of their arguments against anti-abortion legislation are defeated. This is due to many Republicans who are traditionally conservative being in political offices, and denying these appeals to overwrite legislation that takes away a woman’s right to decide whether or not she wants to have the baby.

In conclusion, there are many national interest groups as well as interest groups in Texas. The main aspiration of an interest group is to have legislation or policies passed that positively effect their interest. There are many influential groups in Texas, a couple of them are the NCAAP Texas and the Texas Rifle Association. There are also interest groups that go underrepresented in Texas, some of these groups are the Texas Equity PAC and the NARAL Pro-Choice Texas groups.

Works Cited

1. “2017 Texas Legislature.” NARAL Pro-Choice Texas. NARAL Pro-Choice Texas, n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2017.
2. Champagne, Anthony, and Edward J. Harpham. Governing Texas:. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2013. Print.
3. “LEGISLATIVE.” Texas State Rifle Association. TEXAS STATE RIFLE ASSOCIATION, n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2017.
4. “Texas Equity PAC.” Texas Equity PAC. Texas Equity PAC, n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2017.
5. “Texas NAACP History.” Texas State Conference of NAACP Units. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2017.