1. Interest Groups

2. The Role of Interest Groups
An organization of people with shared policy goals entering the policy process at several points to try to achieve those goals
Interest groups pursue their goals in many arenas.
Interest groups and political parties promote U.S. democracy by linking citizens to the political process. Interest groups are distinct from parties.
Political parties fight election battles; interest groups do not field candidates for office but may choose sides.
Interest groups are policy specialists; political parties are policy generalists.

3. Theories of Interest Group Politics
Pluralism and Group Theory
Groups provide a key link between the people and the government.
Groups compete and no one group will become too dominant.
Groups play by the “rules of the game.”
Groups weak in one resource may use another.
i.e. all legitimate groups can affect public policy.
Lobbying is open to all so is not a problem.

4. Fundamental Goals of Interest Groups
Influence public policy
Influence Congress/government
Change laws

5. What Makes an Interest Group Successful?

6. How Groups Try to Shape Policy
Lobbying
“communication by someone other than a citizen acting on his own behalf, directed to a governmental decisionmaker with the hope of influencing his decision”
Two basic types of lobbyists:
Regular, paid employees of a group
Temporary hires

7. An obvious question… Where are most interest groups located?
Washington D.C.
Examples: environmentalists, nurses, automobile manufacturers, automobile assembly-line workers

8. How Groups Try to Shape Policy
Lobbyists:
are a source of information
help politicians plan political strategies for legislation
help politicians plan political strategies for reelection campaigns
are a source of ideas and innovations.

9. Narrowing it down…
The two major ways interest groups achieve their goals is through:
Access to/influence policymakers
Have like-minded people/policy advocated in office.

10. The Interest Group Explosion

11. Types of Interest Groups
Economic Interests
Labor
Agriculture
Business
Environmental Interests
Equality Interests
Consumer and Public Interest Lobbies
Many interest groups are…ideological interest groups—appeal of coherent and, often, controversial principles