This document discusses interest groups and their role in the political process. It defines interest groups as organizations that aim to influence government policy. It notes that interest groups differ from political parties in that their main goal is to influence decisions rather than gain control of government offices. The document also discusses reasons for the formation of interest groups, including protections under the first amendment, decentralization of government, and weakness of political parties. It outlines various types of interest groups including business, labor, professional, and government employee groups.

1. Interest Groups
GOVT 2306
Chapter 6

2. Interest Groups in the Political
Process
 What is an Interest Group?
 An interest group (pressure group, special interest group, or
lobby) is an organization of like-minded persons designed to
influence government.
 Political Parties and Interest Groups
 Political parties and interest groups each attempt to influence
governmental policy decisions but differ in their methods.
 Political Parties
 The main goal of political parties is to increase the numbers of its
members who are elected or appointed to public offices in order to gain
control of government to achieve party goals.

3. Interest Groups in the Political
Process
 Political Parties and Interest Groups
 Interest Groups
 The main goal of interest groups is to influence government officials to
decide policy to their advantage.
 They work on behalf of members sharing common views and objectives
(trade associations, labor unions, etc.)
 Functional Representation
 Interest groups provide representation for people with similar interests
but who do not constitute a majority in any one area.

4. Interest Groups in the Political
Process
 Reasons for Interest Groups
 Right of association is protected by the 1st Amendment of the
U.S. Constitution
 Legal and Cultural Reasons
 In NAACP v. Alabama (1958), the U.S. Supreme Court recognized the
right of association as part of the right of assembly granted by the First
Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
 Protects the right of people to organize into groups for political purposes
 Furthermore, the nation’s political culture has traditionally encouraged
individuals to organize themselves into associations.

5. Interest Groups in the Political
Process
 Reasons for Interest Groups
 Decentralized Government
 Decentralization of government enhances the ability of interest groups to influence
the activities of governments at every level.
 Divided power makes public officials more susceptible to the influence of interest groups
 Dispersal of power within branches or departments of government enhances an
interest group’s chance of success.
 Strength of the Party System and Political Ideology
 Party organizations are not cohesive, which further enhances interest group
success.
 However, a united and cohesive party with a concrete agenda and political strength can
resist pressure from well-organized interest groups
 Since ideological objectives are not a high priority in most interest groups,
policymakers can afford to pay closer attention to their demands.
 The growth of the religious right, on the other hand, may increase ideological voting. This
influence is especially true for Republicans.

6. Organization of Interest Groups
 Interest groups provide members with information.
 Any group becomes an interest group when it tries to
influence government.
 Some interest groups have centralized organizations, where
decision making is concentrated in one office.
 Example: The NRA
 Other groups are decentralized, so that every level has
authority to make decisions independently.
 Examples: labor unions (ALF-CIO)

7. Organization of Interest Groups
 Membership and Leadership
 Interest group members are most likely persons of high
socioeconomic status.
 Labor groups are the notable exception to that tendency.
 One study found that more than two-thirds of all Americans
belong to at least one group or association.
 Most interest group members are passive.
 Hence, decisions tend to be made by a minority of the interest group
membership, people who have worked their way to positions of
authority by having time and money to devote to the group.

8. Types of Interest Groups
 Interest groups may be classified by function, by
organizational structure, by the level of government that they
attempt to influence, or by the particular branch of
government that they try to influence.
 Economic Groups
 Many groups are organized to promote the economic self-interests of
their members.
 Business Groups
 Business groups were among the first organized because they were most
aware of the impact of government policies upon their interests.
 At the state level, business organizations most often take the form of trade
associations (groups that act on behalf of an industry).
 Goals typically include lower taxes, a lessening or elimination of price and
quality controls by government, and minimal concessions to labor unions.

9. Types of Interest Groups
 Economic Groups
 Labor Groups
 Labor groups are very active but not as cohesive as other groups because
of the diversity and limited number of their membership.
 Goals typically include government intervention to increase wages, obtain
adequate health insurance coverage, provide unemployment insurance, and
promote safe working conditions.
 Professional Groups
 Professional groups are typically concerned with state standards for
admission to their profession and the licensing of practitioners.
 Government Employee Groups
 Employees and officeholders of state and local government have organized
to resist employee cutbacks and other issues that might affect them.
 Goals typically include better working conditions, higher wages, more fringe
benefits, and better retirement

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