Bentuk Lobi Politik Pressure Group di Pemerintahan AS. Studi Kasus; Proses Lobi National Rifle Association Dalam Mempengaruhi Kebijakan Senjata Api AS Pada Periode Obama 2009-2014

IHTAR FAIQ MUASIDA, Atin Prabandari, MA(IR)

2015 | Skripsi | S1 ILMU HUBUNGAN INTERNASIONAL

Isu senjata api merupakan salah satu isu yang masih menjadi perdebatan besar di Amerika Serikat (AS) saat ini. Perdebatan yang melibatkan kubu pro-gun control dan pro-gun rights ini kerapkali muncul pasca insiden penembakan massal. Seperti yang terjadi pada insiden Sandy Hook 2012. Insiden ini kemudian memicu Obama untuk menyusun kebijakan gun control yang lebih ketat. Demi keamanan masyarakat AS. Penyusunan kebijakan berlanjut hingga RUU background checks Obama masuk ke Kongres. Namun RUU ini tidak berhasil direalisasikan karena kalah dalam voting Kongres. Fenomena gagalnya RUU kemudian menjadi unik. Karena pertama, lantaran kekalahan voting terjadi di Senat, dimana Partai Demokrat menjadi mayoritas. Kedua, karena dukungan publik yang terus mengalir bagi RUU Obama. Kurang lebih 90% masyarakat AS dan 84% anggota pressure group NRA mendukung RUU background checks Obama. Berangkat dari fakta tersebut, penulis mengasumsikan bahwa ada pihak ketiga, yang berhasil mempengaruhi suara para anggota Kongres. Pihak ketiga tersebut adalah National Rifle Association (NRA). Salah satu pro-gun rights pressure group terkuat di AS. NRA menjadi salah satu pressure group yang sangat berpengaruh di AS, berkat kerjasamanya dengan industri-industri senjata api, serta Partai Republik. Industri senjata api berperan sebagai pemasok dana bagi NRA. Setelah mendapatkan dana, NRA mempergunakannya untuk berbagai macam keperluan lobi. Lobi-lobi dari NRA kemudian disampaikan ke Kongres melalui suara-suara dari para anggota Kongres yang mayoritas dari Partai Republik. Hal ini mungkin dilakukan karena NRA dan Partai Republik telah lama menjalin hubungan kerjasama. Maneuver kerjasama inilah yang menyebabkan lobi NRA menjadi efektif dalam ranah isu senjata api. Skripsi ini berfokus pada analisis bentuk-bentuk strategi lobi NRA dalam mempengaruhi kebijakan senjata api di AS pada era pemerintahan Obama. Analisis sendiri dilakukan menggunakan tiga sudut pandang teori, yakni teori pressure group Andrew Heywood, teori sistem politik Gabriel Almond, dan teori lobbying. Kata kunci: perdebatan senjata api, pro-gun rights, pro-gun control, NRA, industri senjata api, Partai Republik

The gun issue is just one of many issues that has been a major debate in United States (US) recently. The debate between pro-gun control groups and pro-gun rights groups often takes place after a mass shooting just happened. Such as Sandy Hook incident in 2012. The incident also encouraged Obama to propose a new, stricter policy about gun control. For the sake of US citizens safety. Obama then push his new policy about background checks for Congress. Unfortunately, the new policy could not make it in there, because it was defeated by Congressmen voting. But then, the policy failure became one unique occurrence. First, because the policy was defeated by vote in Senate, which has a Democrat majority. Second, the fact that public seems to support those policy. Approximately 90% of US citizens and 84% of NRA pressure groups members are supported Obama background checks policy. Based on that fact, the author assumed that there was a third party which succeeded in persuading the Congressmen vote. That third party was designated at National Rifle Association (NRA). One of the most powerful pressure group in US. NRA became one of the most powerful pressure group in US, due to their cooperation with gun industries and Republican Party. The gun industries take their roles as the funding source for NRA. Therefore, NRA used the fund for various lobbying activities. Those lobbies then conveyed to Congress through the Congressmen, whose also members of Republican Party. This tactic is possible, because both NRA and Republican Party are partners for a long time. And these kind of cooperation maneuver are the reasons why NRA lobby could become effective, in terms of gun issue. The thesis focuses in analyzing several forms of NRA lobbying strategies in affecting gun policy in Obama administration. While the analysis is carried out using three theories points of view. These are Andrew Heywood pressure group theory, Gabriel Almond political system, and lobbying theory. Keywords: gun debate, pro-gun rights, pro-gun control, NRA, gun industry, Republican Party

Kata Kunci : perdebatan senjata api, pro-gun rights, pro-gun control, NRA, industri senjata api, Partai Republik / gun debate, pro-gun rights, pro-gun control, NRA, gun industry, Republican Party