Tactics and Methods used to Influence Housing Policy in US
Initial post 350 words +
Select an issue that’s important in America today, and choose an interest group that has taken on that issue. What tactics and methods do they use to influence policy?
Make sure to include a news article from the last eight weeks of this group in action. Do not get sidetracked in discussions about the issue they support. Stay focused on their tactics and methods.
Response 1 and 2, 150 words +
1.
Hope everyone enjoyed their long weekend and got the opportunity to relax. For this final forum my topic of choice was to discuss criminal justice reform. This has been an issue beat over the head for decades specially by the democratic party, most recently by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. Many have felt that the nation was spending absolutely way too much money in order to keep many citizens behind bars. Many of those citizens locked up due to misdemeanors that should have been fine worthy. Just after President Trump enacted the First Step Act which was meant to reform the federal prison system and address outdated overly zealous sentencing laws, Gov. Phil Murphy signed another bill returning the right to vote to any individual on parole or probation. Although their will be many who don’t agree with this or feel they were in prison for a reason, President Trump also provided $100 million toward to the states to promote successful outcomes and rehabilitation after release from incarceration.
Another recent step in the right direction to improve the criminal justice system was 35 plus states over 150 cities adopted a version of the “ban the box” law where it no longer forces individuals to list/check the box of whether they have or have no prior convictions or a criminal record. It’s well known that a checking “yes” puts that individual in a box so to speak either to never get hired or to get the position only to be watched under a microscope. Criminal justice advocates such as Gov. Phil Murphy feel and advocate that putting up this type of barrier for millions of citizens with a record is burden for local economies and bad for the overall national economy.
“The Biggest Issues to Watch in 2020.” Governing, www.governing.com/next/The-Biggest-Issues-to-Watch-in-2020.html.
2.
For this final topic I chose the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) as my interest group and racial equality as my issue. The NAACP was established in 1909 and is by far America’s oldest and largest civil rights organization, it began in New York City by white and black activists during a time when violence against African Americans was at an all time high. One would think that after fighting this fight for over 110 years, there would be little left to do. Unfortunately this is not the case, as recent as Monday, May 25, 2020, there has been a cause for alarm concerning racial equality towards people of color and the police. On May 7 of this year the NAACP launched the #WEAREDONEDYING campaign. The campaign itself was created to shed light on the inequality in America’s healthcare as well as other areas. The campaign addressed issues that included COVID-19 to running while black, it was designed to raise awareness of the issues faced by African Americans in this country. COVID-19 has cripled this country in a way that no one could have ever suspected but it has been especially gruesome in the African American community. There are many factors that contribute to this fact which I will not get into in this post. The NAACP has attempted to raise awareness within the African American community.
“NAACP Launches #WeAreDoneDying Campaign, Empowering Black and Brown Communities to Take Action Against Senseless Killings of African Americans.” NAACP, 13 May 2020, www.naacp.org/latest/naacp-launches-wearedonedying-campaign-empowering-black-brown-communities-demand-equitable-action-amid-covid-19/.
