National Rifle Association: Difference between revisions

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{{CZ:POL 214: US Political Parties and Interest Groups/EZnotice}}
{{subpages}}
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{{Infobox Legal Person
| name            = National Rifle Association
| parent          =
| logo            = Microsoft_wordmark.png
| website          = www.nra.org
| legal_status    = 501(c)(4)
| ownership_type  =
| stock_symbol    =
| foundation_date  = 1871
| founded_by      = [[Colonel William C. Church]] and [[General George Wingate]]
| location_street  = 11250 Waples Mill Road
| location_city    = Fairfax
| location_state  = Virginia
| location_country = United States
| industry        =
| product          =
}}


 
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The '''National Rifle Association of America''', or NRA, is a non-partisan American [[interest group]] created to “preserve and defend” the [[Second Amendment]] of the United States Constitution. Founded in 1871 by [[Col. William C. Church]] and [[Gen. George Wingate]], both Union veterans of the American Civil War, the group touts itself as America’s oldest civil rights organization.
The '''National Rifle Association of America''', or NRA, is a [[United States of America|U.S.]] non-profit interest group that since the 1990's has lobbied to prevent any and all forms of gun regulation in the [[United States of America|U.S.]]. It is known for "buying" politicians by providing them with so much financial support that they cannot avoid pursuing the group's interests, for running smear campaigns against politicians whose policies are not approved by the organization, and for being one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the U.S.  But as of 2024, amid frequent mass shootings in the U.S. and scandals among NRA leadership, the organization lost more than a million members, out of six million at its peak in 2018, and its revenue has dropped by more than 40 percent since 2016.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/12/briefing/nra-wayne-la-pierre.html The Decline of the N.R.A.] by German Lopez in the New York Times, Feb. 12, 2024</ref> The NRA advertises itself as a public service organization training hundreds of thousands of gun owners each year.
 
Often referred to as one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the United States, the NRA boasts nearly four million members, according to the organization’s Web site [1]. The NRA trains approximately 750,000 gun owners each year, and promotes firearm safety with its training courses and educational programs [1].
 
A brief overview of your [[interest group]] (be sure to put its name in '''bold''' in the first sentence) and the scope of the article goes here.<ref>See the "Writing an Encyclopedia Article" handout for more details.</ref>


==History==
==History==


This section should describe the interest group's founding and development. It would probably be a good idea to divide it into chronological subsections, for example:
The NRA was founded in 1871 by Col. William C. Church and Gen. George Wingate, both Union veterans of the American Civil War.  The NRA's stated purpose for being formed was to “preserve and defend” the Second Amendment to the [[U.S. Constitution]].  


===Founding===
===Early Years===


This subsection should provide some historical context for the founding of your group, explain the motivations behind it, and describe the steps taken and challenges faced by its founders to get the ball rolling.<ref>John Q. Sample, ''Why and How Interest Group X Was Founded''. City: Publisher, 2015.</ref>
By the end of the nineteenth century, the NRA was offering training for gun owners at its rifle ranges. At this point in time, the organization was not concerned with public policy; it did very little lobbying, and was more concerned with developing gun safety classes.  The group’s first rifle range, located on Long Island, was paid for by the New York stage legislature. In 1903, Congress set up the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice, now known as the Civilian Marksmanship Program. The NRA helped to run this board, and Congress eventually gave surplus guns to NRA-sponsored rifle clubs, allowing the organization to expand westward. The group constructed a new facility near Lake Erie, 45 miles east of Toledo, Ohio.


==Current objectives and activities==
===WWII Era===


This section should discuss the group's current initiatives and tactics for influencing political outcomes (which may or may not be very different from its original goals and modus operandi).<ref>"The Things We Do and How We Do Them," Interest Group X. 2006. Retrieved July 21, 2009 from [http://www.interestgroupx.org/things_we_do.html http://www.interestgroupx.org/things_we_do.html]</ref>
In 1934 the NRA formed its Legislative Affairs Division concerned with preserving the right of people to own guns. While the NRA was not involved in lobbying at this time, it did mail out legislative facts and summaries to members, who could take subsequent action. The NRA offered its ranges to the government during World War II. The association developed training materials for industrial security and helped gather more than 7,000 firearms for Britain’s defense against a possible invasion from Germany.


==Organizational structure==
===Post WWII===


This section should describe the group's organizational structure, including its principal leadership positions and their current incumbents.<ref>First Author and Second Author, "The Organizational Structure of Interest Group X," ''Fake Journal of Nonexistent Scholarship'' 36:2 (2015) pp. 36-52.</ref>
The tenor of the organization changed after World World II, as the NRA began to accommodate the recreational sportsman, even putting together an Olympic rifle team.  


==Achievements==
The NRA came out in support of the Gun Control Act of 1968, which forbade selling guns by mail. In 1980 the group endorsed a presidential candidate, Ronald Reagan, for the first time.


This section should recount the group's major achievements, including but not limited to legislative and/or legal victories.<ref>"Major Success for Interest Group X," ''Anytown Daily News'', January 1, 2015, p. A6.</ref>
This NRA's current shooting range, Camp Perry, is now the home of the annual National Matches, an NRA marksmanship competition with thousands of people competing each year.


==Public perception and controversies==
Despite the very high number of gun deaths from mass shootings in the U.S., the NRA vehemently (and successfully) lobbied against the renewal of the country's 1990s ban on assault-style rifles.


In developing this final section, be especially careful about maintaining a [[CZ:Neutrality Policy|neutral]] stance and tone. Your aim should be to document the public's perception of your group and/or any controversies in which it is or has been embroiled ''without weighing in with your own opinion'' about them.
==Notes==
<references />


==References==
[[Category:Reviewed Passed]][[Category:Suggestion Bot Tag]]
<references/>

Latest revision as of 07:00, 24 September 2024

This article is a stub and thus not approved.
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The National Rifle Association of America, or NRA, is a U.S. non-profit interest group that since the 1990's has lobbied to prevent any and all forms of gun regulation in the U.S.. It is known for "buying" politicians by providing them with so much financial support that they cannot avoid pursuing the group's interests, for running smear campaigns against politicians whose policies are not approved by the organization, and for being one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the U.S. But as of 2024, amid frequent mass shootings in the U.S. and scandals among NRA leadership, the organization lost more than a million members, out of six million at its peak in 2018, and its revenue has dropped by more than 40 percent since 2016.[1] The NRA advertises itself as a public service organization training hundreds of thousands of gun owners each year.

History

The NRA was founded in 1871 by Col. William C. Church and Gen. George Wingate, both Union veterans of the American Civil War. The NRA's stated purpose for being formed was to “preserve and defend” the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Early Years

By the end of the nineteenth century, the NRA was offering training for gun owners at its rifle ranges. At this point in time, the organization was not concerned with public policy; it did very little lobbying, and was more concerned with developing gun safety classes. The group’s first rifle range, located on Long Island, was paid for by the New York stage legislature. In 1903, Congress set up the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice, now known as the Civilian Marksmanship Program. The NRA helped to run this board, and Congress eventually gave surplus guns to NRA-sponsored rifle clubs, allowing the organization to expand westward. The group constructed a new facility near Lake Erie, 45 miles east of Toledo, Ohio.

WWII Era

In 1934 the NRA formed its Legislative Affairs Division concerned with preserving the right of people to own guns. While the NRA was not involved in lobbying at this time, it did mail out legislative facts and summaries to members, who could take subsequent action. The NRA offered its ranges to the government during World War II. The association developed training materials for industrial security and helped gather more than 7,000 firearms for Britain’s defense against a possible invasion from Germany.

Post WWII

The tenor of the organization changed after World World II, as the NRA began to accommodate the recreational sportsman, even putting together an Olympic rifle team.

The NRA came out in support of the Gun Control Act of 1968, which forbade selling guns by mail. In 1980 the group endorsed a presidential candidate, Ronald Reagan, for the first time.

This NRA's current shooting range, Camp Perry, is now the home of the annual National Matches, an NRA marksmanship competition with thousands of people competing each year.

Despite the very high number of gun deaths from mass shootings in the U.S., the NRA vehemently (and successfully) lobbied against the renewal of the country's 1990s ban on assault-style rifles.

Notes

  1. The Decline of the N.R.A. by German Lopez in the New York Times, Feb. 12, 2024