Abstract
In November 1999, nine-year old Elian Gonzalez arrived illegally in the United States from Cuba. The efforts of the Cuban American National Foundation (CANF) to prevent Elian Gonzalez from being deported are a testament to the potential impact of a vocal minority upon government decision making. CANF aids emigrees from Cuba, oversees U.S. government-funded radio and TV broadcasts in Cuba, and lobbies the U.S. government with the objective of promoting democracy and ending the Castro regime in Cuba. The CANF has approximately 50,000 members, and its political action committee, Free Cuba PAC, donates $100,000 to $200,000 to congressional candidates in each election cycle. The activities of the CANF have contributed to the United States’ unwillingness to consider a policy of engagement and negotiation with Cuba. Speaking in Argentina in October of 1997, President Clinton noted that if Cuba wants to “open up and change direction, then I think even the hardest-line people in Miami—who are basically responsible for the [present] policy—would be open to a different approach” ([Robinson, 1998, p. 50).
Keywords
- Interest Group
- Shared Representation
- Social Movement Organization
- Political Action Committee
- Political Interest Group
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Smith, C.M., Diven, P.J. (2002). Minority Influence and Political Interest Groups. In: Ottati, V.C., et al. The Social Psychology of Politics. Social Psychological Applications to Social Issues. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0569-3_9
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