Download Difference between political parties and interest groups

The Role of Interest Groups
Seek to influence the
making and content of public
policy
The first amendment
guarantees the right to
assemble
Interest groups are made
up of people who unite for
some political purpose.
Difference between political
parties and interest groups:
Interest groups do not
nominate candidates for
public office.
Interest groups are primarily
concerned with controlling or
influencing the policies of
government while political
parties are interested in
winning elections and
controlling the government.
Interest groups concentrate
on the issues that most
directly affect its members
while political parties
concentrate on a wide range
of public affairs.
Interest groups are private
organizations while political
parties are accountable to
the public.
The Valuable Functions of
Interest groups:
They help stimulate interest
in public affairs.
They represent their
members based on shared
attitudes rather than
geography.
They provide useful,
specialized, and detailed
information to the
government.
They are means through
which like-minded citizens
can take action.
They keep track of the work
of various public agencies
and officials in order to make
sure they perform their tasks
in responsible and effective
ways.
Since the interest groups
compete with one another,
there is a limit on the lengths
to which some groups might
otherwise go to seek their
interests.
Criticisms of Interest Groups:
Interest groups are very
demanding.
The size of the interest groups
is indirectly proportional with the
influence they have on society.
Some interest groups have
titles that falsely suggest that
they consist of a large
number of people.
Many groups do not
represent the views of the
people they claim to be
representing.
Often, these groups will use
tactics such as bribery or
threats of revenge to achieve
their goal.
Types of Interest Groups
Business Groups:
The two best known
business organizations are
the National Association of
Manufacturers, and the
Chamber of Commerce of
the United States.
NAM represents 14,000
firms. It speaks for “big
business” and public affairs.
The Chamber of Commerce
is a major voice for the
nation’s thousands of small
businesses and individuals.
McCain: That's It for Comments
on Female Lobbyist
Trade Associations
Within the business
community, there are
hundreds of trade
associations:
For example, American
Bankers Association,
National Restaurant
Association, etc.
Although Business Groups
have common interests, they
often disagree and quarrel
among themselves.
Labor Groups
A labor group is an
organization of workers who
share the same type of job or
work in the same industry.
16 Million Americans belong
to labor unions
The largest labor union is
the American Federation of
Labor-Congress of Industrial
Organizations (AFL-CIO)
There are 13 Million
Members
Labor unions speak with
one voice on social welfare
and job related matters.
Agricultural Groups
Includes several broad
based farm groups
The American Farm Bureau
is the largest and most
effective farm group with
over 5 million members. It
favors the free market
economy and opposes
government regulations.
Professional Groups
Include occupations that
require extensive and
specialized training.
3 major groups: The American
Medical Association
(physicians), The American Bar
Association (lawyers), and the
National Education Association
teachers).
Public Interest Groups
Seeks to institute certain
public policies to benefit
most people in the U.S
whether or not they support
the organization.
Focus on roles that all
Americans share
Influencing Public Opinion
Supply public with
information that an
organization thinks the
people should have.
To build a positive image for
the group.
To promote a particular
public policy.
An example of a lobbyist win
Propaganda
It is the technique of
persuasion aimed at
influencing individual or
group behaviors.
The more controversial or
less popular a group’s
position is, the more
necessary the group’s
propaganda campaign
becomes.
Influencing Parties and
Elections
Interest groups try to
influence the behavior of
political parties by securing
the support of both parties
and/or urging their members
to become active in party
affairs
Example of lobbyist website
Lobbying
It is activities by which group
pressures are brought to
bear on legislators, the
legislative process, and all
aspects of the public-policymaking process.
Lobbyists try to persuade
legislators to share their
points of view.
Their effectiveness depends
on how well they know
governmental procedures
and how experienced they
are in being politely
persuasive.
Lobbyists try to maintain a
good image to keep their
credibility in good standing.