My FRQ Response for 1999 Interest Group Question

A. The NAACP has successfully targeted both the executive and legislative branches for consideration of civil rights issues. Perhaps its most impressive victory was its role in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Through its organizational campaigns which included sit-ins, boycotts, and other advocacy measures the NAACP brought international attention to the Jim Crow South that could not be ignored. The NAACP also successfully lobbied members of Congress as well as the President of the United States through phone calls and letter writing campaigns. A considerable amount of pressure was placed on Lyndon B. Johnson by the NAACP to convince the congress to pass the both the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

B. One resource that the NAACP draws upon is its prestige and historical record for successfully advocating civil rights issues for African-Americans. This interest group has been in existence for well over 100 years. Its former and current membership includes such luminary figures of the civil rights movement as the Reverend Ralph Abernathy, Senator John Lewis as well as the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. When the NAACP gets involved with a dispute given its historical record and prestige, both the media and ultimately the congress often pays attention to their concerns.

C. Another resource that the NAACP draws upon is its extensive financial resources and substantial membership that have allowed it to lobby members of Congress for voting consideration and other matters. Through its large membership and extensive budget, the NAACP has been able to focus attention on certain congressional voting records (for better or worse). The NAACP like many interest groups, encourages its members to vote for certain candidates and to withhold support from others. Its extensive membership and financial resources make it an unavoidable force to be reckoned with.