Types of Interest Groups Economic* –Business Umbrella groups represent types of business or industry –Ex. US Chamber of Commerce –Ex. National Association of Manufacturers –Ex. American Pet Products Manufacturers –Ex. Better Business Bureau –Agricultural Small by population but very influential –Ex. American Farm Bureau Federation –Ex. The Peanut Growers Group –Ex. American Farmland Trust –Labor About 12% of the workforce belong to a union –Ex. AFL-CIO –Public-Employee more public-sector members than private-sector members –Ex. NEA –Professional Many different groups represented –Ex. American Bar Association –Ex. American Medical Association *largest category of interest groups

Types of Interest Groups Environmental –National Audubon Society –Sierra Club –National Wildlife Federation –Environmental Defense Fund –Greenpeace

Types of Interest Groups Public-Interest –Many different “publics” in a country of 300m+ “Nader Organizations” –“Nader’s Raiders” ACLU League of Women Voters Common Cause MoveOn.org

Types of Interest Groups Other –Single issue groups More focused Members more passionate Less complex goals –Ex. NRA Foreign –Over 300 foreign entities represented by lobbyists