
Organizations composed of individuals who
share one or more interests in common and
who have formed an association for their
purpose of advancing or protecting their
interests

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
Parties
Similar views on most
issues
Broad coalition of
members
Affect policy by
getting people
elected to office

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
Interest Groups
Similar views on one
or a handful of issues
Narrow focus
Affect policy through
access and lobbying

Business groupslargest and most
powerful of interest
groups that represent
large business
corporations,
chambers of
commerce, small
business



National Association of
Manufacturers
American Petroleum
Institute-represents 400
oil and gas corp.
US Chamber of
Commerce: 3 million
businesses, 2,800 state
chambers,

Campaign for
workers’ issues
like minimum
wage, workplace
safety, industry
protection from
overseas
competition

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AFL-CIO-88 unions
and trade groups
United Auto Workers
Union
National Education
Association
Teamsters Union

Farm groups that
lobby for farm
subsidies,
environmental
issues, genetic
engineering
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
American Farm
Bureau
Association
In 2005, over $25
billion paid out

Groups that represent
occupations that
require some special
training (question:
what do they lobby
for?)

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AMA-American
Medical Association
ABA-large and wellfunded group
representing
lawyers

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Elderly
Foreign
governments

AARP-powerful
lobby for people
over 55 with a lot
of clout on issues
like Social
Security and
prescription
drugs. Seniors
vote in large
numbers

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Consumer Groups:
Nader’s Raiders
Women’s Groups:
NOW

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Religious Groups
Environmental
Groups: Audubon
Society, Sierra Club


National Rifle
Association: very rich
and powerful
Abortion: Operation
Rescue, Planned
Parenthood

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Civil Rights: NAACP,
LULAC (a group rising
in importance as the
Hispanic population
grows)
PETA

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Interest groups try to influence the making of
public policy by using tactics that are effective
for them such as donating campaign funds,
filing lawsuits, electioneering.
Lobbying provides access for interest groups
and forces Congress to take action on their
issue. Sometimes no action is a successful
strategy because nothing changes, for the
interest group.

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Personal Contact:
meeting with
policymakers and doing
what they can to persuade
them to support their
cause
Providing Expertise:
using their specialized
body of knowledge about
a certain topic to aid in
writing legislation
Testifying at hearings:
provide information for
Congressional hearings to
get their message out and
get free publicity (see iron
triangle)
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Giving money: Interest groups endorse
candidates who support their interest and then
help finance that candidate’s campaign by using
PACs.
PACs give billions of dollars primarily to
congressional campaigns and to incumbents.
PACs are limited by law to give $5,000 for each
campaign (hard money), but there are no limits
on donations to parties (soft money).
PACs can also create issue ads without
specifically endorsing a particular candidate.
October 2, 2002

Fortune Magazine periodically produces a
list of the most influential interest groups in
Washington, D.C. This is called the Fortune
Power 25 Survey. The top 25 interest
groups on its Survey for 2001 is listed
below . You can find that WEB page at:
http://www.fortune.com/lists/power25/i
ndex.html

1. National Rifle Association
2. American Association of Retired People
(AARP)
3. National Federation of Independent
Business
4. American Israel Foreign Affairs
Committee
5. Association of Trial Lawyers of America
6. AFL-CIO
7. Chamber of Commerce of the United
States of America
8. National Beer Wholesalers of America
9. National Association of Realtors

10. National Association of
Manufacturers
11. National Association of
Homebuilders of the United States
12. American Medical Association
13. American Hospital Association
14. National Education Association of
the United States
15. American Farm Bureau Federation
16. Motion Picture Association of
America
17. National Association of Broadcasters
18. National Right to Life Committee
19. Health Insurance Association of
America
20. National Restaurant Association
21. National Governors' Association
22. Recording Industry Association of
America
23. American Bankers Association
24. Pharmaceutical Research and
Manufacturers of America
25. International Brotherhood of
Teamsters
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Mobilizing grassroots: Letter campaigns, phone
campaigns-getting members to act on their own
Molding public opinion: ads, rallies, rating
political leaders; cultivating a positive image of
their group in the eyes of the public
Coalition building: ex. Daylight Savings Time
Coalition was made up of lobbyists representing
7/11, Kingsford charcoal, amusement parks, lawn
and garden centers, meat producers, and travel
companies