The U.S. interest group chosen for this discussion post is the National Organization for Women that was created in 1966. All the necessary information regarding this American feminist organization may be found at their website. The mission statement is to “take action to bring women into full participation in the mainstream of American society now, exercising all the privileges and responsibilities thereof in truly equal partnership with men” (Friedan). This organization’s particular interest is the rights of all women.
The goals of the National Organization for Women is to use intersectional grassroots activism in order to eliminate discrimination, lead societal change, and promote feminist ideals. Moreover, NOW is aimed at achieving and protecting the equal rights of all girls and women in all aspects of economic, political, and social life (Friedan). I decided to pick this particular interest group because I am a feminist, and I support NOW’s actions and goals.
The first function of all interest groups is representation – bringing problems to a broad audience and influencing policymaking through collective action. NOW tries to achieve equality for women by affecting people and the government. The second function of interest groups is educating other people about current issues. The National Organization for Women creates a significant number of articles, videos, and resources that inform and educate the audience. Moreover, sometimes NOW organizes special meetings to discuss the problems and future plans, which simultaneously addresses both functions.
To get more people to join them, the organization may use a special incentive. For example, it is a good stimulus to describe in detail what the world will be like if it is possible to achieve all the goals of NOW. When people see the bigger picture, they will probably want to take part in the creation of a better world. As I understand, this incentive belongs to the knowledge of the results type. If a person knows the future results, he or she is more motivated to achieve them.
Work Cited
Friedan, Betty. “Statement of Purpose.” NOW, 1998, Web.