2. Business Groups Fight for the interests of American businesses…examples would be the chamber of commerce, banks, or insurance companies Labor Unions Fight for the interest of American workers…usually those who work in the same field or industry Agricultural Groups Fight for the interests of American farmers…includes dairy, milk, wheat growers, etc. Professional Groups Fight for the interests of professionals…including lawyers, doctors, engineers, & teachers Groups Promoting a Cause Groups that promote a cause or an idea…pro-life, pro-choice, pro-civil rights, etc. Groups Promoting Certain Groups of People Groups that promote a certain group, like veterans or certain ethnic groups Religious Organizations Groups that try to influence public policy because of their religious faith Public Interest Groups Represent all Americans, whether they are members or not

3. What an Interest Group Does… They supply the public with information that they think should be important. They build positive images of their groups and issues to encourage support. They use propaganda and lobbyists to get politicians to change how things are done. Lobbyists are people who are paid to try to influence politicans.

4. The Good of Interest Groups ---They get people interested. ---They allow people to get involved. ---They provide us with details of what government is doing. ---It actually adds another system of checks and balances. The Bad of Interest Groups ---They don’t always have the best interests of most Americans in mind. ---It is impossible to tell how many people they really represent. ---They use tactics that are unethical and illegal to change the system (bribes, threats, etc)