Chapter 11 Section 2
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What is an Interest Group?
 Interest Group: Organizations of people with a
common interest that try to influence government
policies and decisions.

A person who is paid by a lobby or interest
group to represent that group’s interests is a
lobbyist
 Also known as a pressure group or lobby
What is an Interest Group?
 Interest groups are more concerned with influencing
public policies than in electing candidates.
Types of Interest Groups
 Business associations
 Labor unions
 Farm organizations
 Veterans’ organization
 Teachers’ association
 Consumers groups
Types of Interest Groups
 Interest groups are issue-oriented.
 They focus on specific issues or causes
 NAACP promotes racial equality
 NOW protects the rights of women
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Types of Interest Groups
 Public-interest groups: promote the interests of the
general public rather than just one part of it.
 Many interest groups hire lobbyists to represent them.
 Lobbyists work at all different levels of government.
Lobbyists Work with Congress
 They argue in support of the bills they favor and
against bills they oppose.
 Lobbyists sometimes ask members of Congress to
sponsor bills favored by members of the interest
group.
Lobbyists Influence Public Opinion
 Interest groups attempt not only to influence the
government, but also the public opinion.
 They place advertisements in the mass media to gain
support for their issue
 The groups often promise to support the candidate in
the next election
Interest Groups and Power
 Some people are critical of interest groups and their
lobbyists.
 They believe that they play too big of a role in the
lawmaking process.
 Too much attention is paid to the interest group that is
the most organized and best funded. So that some
other interest groups are not receiving equal funding.