Pressure groups are defined as organisations that seek influence over those in power, as opposed to power itself, their biggest distinction is some seek to represent institutions and others represent individual americans with shared interests. Their significance over political institutions varies per branch, I will explore how their impact varies upon the legislature, the executive and the judiciary.

Firstly, pressure groups seek to influence how congress vote so legislative changes can adhere to their own agendas. Members of congress struggle to remain adequately informed on all issues and turn to lobbyists to sustain an updated perspective on these issues. Because lobbying is a key pressure group activity, they can pass their ideas and information to members of congress frequently. Committee membership in congress is often small (16 in the Senate, 40 in the House - per committee), and therefore allows lobbyists to build key relationships with members of both chambers. These connections present a clear impact as committee’s often influence voting on legislation through lobbied reports and data.

Secondly, pressure groups often seek to maintain a strong connection with the relevant executive departments, particularly when their agenda requires influence from federal regulatory work. Some will find themselves courted by the White House for their support, in 2005, G. Bush’s political director, K. Rove kept in close contact with Christian Rights groups to secure the Supreme Court appointment of Harriet Miers. It actually resulted in her defeat as these groups discretely lobbied against her. This shows the extent of pressure group influence on executive ties to progress their ideas.

Lastly, pressure groups take an active interest in federal court nominations, especially the Supreme Court as the final interpreter of the Constitution. Pressure groups can influence