Abstract
Interest groups can play a fundamental role in American public policy by
facilitating the participation of coalitions focused on a variety of areas in
affecting public policy. They can specialize in one of three areas: ¨economic,
professional and promotional (Theodoulou & Kofinis, 2004, Chp. 4, p. 70,
para. 2)¨ and their ¨influence is based on [the] ability to effectively
mobilize, organize, utilize fiscal and political resources, and focus its
attention to a given issue within the political arena (p. 70, para. 3).¨ The
Mexican American Political Association (MAPA) is one of the most influential
promotional interest groups dedicated to the needs of Mexican American and
Latino immigrants. This paper details the history of this group, the public policies
that are relevant to their cause and the opposing viewpoints of other
organizations. Weak areas of the organization are identified and suggestions
for improvements are made.
