Interest Groups

Interest groups are organizations of people with similar policy goals who intend to influence a process to achieve their policy goals. Interest groups have been their since time immemorial with some being as old as the independent United States. Interest groups normally persuade elected representatives to share their point-of-view especially in democracies. In fact, they are a necessary requirement for democracies. A more universal definition of interest groups is a group of individuals who act together to obtain goals beyond individual reach in complex societies. These goals can be political.

However, they must not always be political. Members of interest groups at times find themselves lobbying despite the fact lobbying is not their core mandate (Interest Groups and Political Parties, n.d). There are different types of interest groups. Interest groups are loosely categorized by political scientists into four main policy areas i.e. those dealing with economic issues, those dealing with environmental issues, those dealing with equality issues, and those dealing with consumer interests.

Economic groups are concerned with matters pertaining to wages, prices, and profits (Edwards, Wattenberg & Lineberry, 2010). These groups are very useful in countries like the United States where the government does not directly determine wages, prices, and profits. Government regulations, tax advantages, subsidies and contracts, and international trade policy has direct impact on wages, prices of commodities, and profits. Economic groups ensure that consumers and producers alike are not negatively impacted on by these activities of the government. Environmental interest groups in the American context have done immense work.

They have great influence on Congress and state legislatures especially when two public interests clash (Edwards, Wattenberg & Lineberry, 2010). This may take the context of environmental protection against continued supply of energy. Equality interest groups represent minority groups (Edwards, Wattenberg & Lineberry, 2010). They clamor for equality at the polls, in housing, on the job, in education sector, and all aspects of lives of the Americans. One notable example in this case has been the African-American group called National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NACCP).

In the recent past, the National Organization for Women (NOW), an example of this lobby group, lobbied for an end to sexual discrimination. Lastly, the consumers and public interest groups, clamor for collective good of everyone even if they are not members of lobby groups. Members of this group have scaled greater heights including the creation of Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1973. This body is charged with the responsibility of banning dangerous consumer goods in the United States.

Public interest groups that speak on behalf of children, animals, and the mentally ill also fall under this category (Edwards, Wattenberg & Lineberry, 2010). Interest groups are capable of shaping public policies. It will be remembered that these groups use lobbying, electioneering, and litigation as their primary strategies. Lobbyists normally try to influence the congress. They are also a source specialized information to them. Lobby groups are capable of ensuring that they get the right people into the office by aiding candidates financially and getting their vote in these individuals.

This is an act that Political Action Committee (PAC) has perfected. Consumer.