1. HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT 1 Interest Groups Section 1: Role of Interest Groups Section 2: How Interest Groups Work Section 3: Interest Groups and the Public Good CHAPTER 17

2. A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON Interest Groups 2 Section 1: Role of Interest Groups Objectives: What is an interest group? What are the functions of interest groups? What are the types of interest groups?

3. A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON Interest Groups 3 Section 1: Role of Interest Groups An interest group is a group of people who share a political concern and act together to further it.

4. A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON Interest Groups 4 Section 1: Role of Interest Groups The functions of interest groups: organizing people who share a concern providing a means for political participation supplying information to the public and policy makers

5. A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON Interest Groups 5 Section 1: Role of Interest Groups Types of interest groups: labor unions agricultural professional business societal cause-based

6. A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON Interest Groups 6 Section 2: How Interest Groups Work Objectives: In what ways are interest groups involved in the electoral process? What is lobbying? How do interest groups attempt to influence the political process through the legal system? How do interest groups try to shape public opinion?

7. A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON Interest Groups 7 Section 2: How Interest Groups Work Ways interest groups are involved in the electoral process: endorsing candidates providing funds to campaigns through political action committees

8. A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON Interest Groups 8 Section 2: How Interest Groups Work Lobbying is a way that interest groups try to persuade policy makers to make legislative decisions that address their concerns.

9. A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON Interest Groups 9 Section 2: How Interest Groups Work How interest groups use the legal system to try to influence the political process: filing lawsuits regarding their issues initiating class-action lawsuits

10. A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON Interest Groups 10 Section 2: How Interest Groups Work How interest groups try to shape public opinion: using the media staging demonstrations and protests

11. A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON Interest Groups 11 Section 3: Interest Groups and the Public Good Objectives: What are the benefits of interest groups? Why are interest groups criticized? How is interest groups’ influence on the political system limited?

12. A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON Interest Groups 12 Section 3: Interest Groups and the Public Good The benefits of interest groups: represent minority concerns in the political system supply information, which increases public awareness

13. A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON Interest Groups 13 Section 3: Interest Groups and the Public Good Criticisms of interest groups: overly influential financially on government officials excessive power over government

14. A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON Interest Groups 14 Section 3: Interest Groups and the Public Good Limitations on interest groups’ influence on the political system: incomplete influence on major issues because of politicians’ concerns about the interests of their state’s voters increased visibility of policy issues by the media limited power by the competition among various interest groups

15. HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT 15 Chapter Wrap-Up 1.What are interest groups? Why do people form them? 2.What are the different types of interest groups? 3.How do interest groups attempt to influence the political system? 4.What functions do interest groups fulfill in the political system?

16. HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON A MERICAN GOVERNMENT HOLT 16 Chapter Wrap-Up 5.How might interest groups be beneficial to the political system? How might they be harmful? 6.What are the limitations on interest groups’ influence?