What are Interest Groups?
• Private Organizations that try to persuade
public officials to respond to the shared
attitudes of their members
• They are not like political parties because
they are not concerned with winning or
holding office
Why are interest groups beneficial?
1. They let the public know what the issues
are
2. They represent people across the
country not just in your city
3. They provide facts and information that
the government may not have time to
find out
1. They are a way for people to become
involved
2. They act as a watch-dog on the
government. If the government is not
meeting a standard they have by law
promised to meet, an interest group may
inform the public
Why are Interest Groups bad?
1. They may have influence out of
proportion to their size
2. They may try to mislead you as to how
many people are in their group based on
their name “Americans for a….” “People
United Against….”
1. The group may not represent the views
of all of its members
2. Some of the tactics that some Interest
groups have used are unethical. (Bribery,
exchange of gifts)
Types of Interest groups (copy only
what is in bold)
• Business and Professional Groups- These are often
industry specific but they do not have to be
– Chamber of Commerce, American Trucking Association,
National Restaurant Association, American Medical Association,
American Bar Association
• Labor Unions- Share the same type of job or work in
the same industry. Unions pressure the government for
policies that will help their members.
– AFL-CIO- made up of 100 separate unions with 13 million
members
– Fraternal Order of Police
Other Groups (just the bold)
• Groups that Promote causes- ACLU,
Sierra Club, NRA, NOW, NAACP, AARP,
Moveon, Veterans of Foreign Wars
• Religious Organizations- Religious
groups also have groups that try to
influence public policy.
Lobbyists (copy all)
• It is estimated that some 20,000 lobbyists
exist in Washington D.C. at any given time
• There are lobbyists stationed in all 50
State Capitals when State legislatures are
in Session
• The goal of the lobbyist is to influence the
politician and therefore public policy
How do lobbyists work?
• Lobbyists are hired by the political action
committee (PAC) to influence policy
makers
• They will often provide information in the
form of testimony for Congress as
“experts” in their field.
• Lobbyists will mount “grass roots”
campaigns for or against politicians based
on the position of the politician
What is a grass roots campaign?
• A campaign that comes from the people
and moves upward.
• Lobbyists may use clever propaganda,
emails, mass-mailed postcards and the
media to get their message across.