Define an interest group with examples. Interest group – usually a voluntary organization where members share a common interest in which they seek to influence public policy, without seeking political control. They have primary activities such as lobbying the members of the legislative bodies through contributions to political parties, trying to elect sympathetic or pliable politicians, and by conducting covert or open propaganda campaigns. (Interest Groups, n.d.) There are a few different types of interest groups and they are as follows:
Economic Interest Groups This is the largest category that includes organizations that represent big businesses, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), as well as big labor – the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organization (AFL-CIO) and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. (Types of Interest Groups, 2012)
Public Interest Groups These groups usually do not expect to profit directly from policy changes. These groups gain financially by getting donations from individuals and foundations that support their activities. Groups such as Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), League of Women Voters, and Common Cause belong with the public interest groups. (Types of Interest Groups, 2012)
Government Interest Groups Even with the structure of the federal system, it does not surprise us that there are organizations to bring issues of local and state government before Congress and the administration. Some groups include: National League of Cities, the National Conference of Mayors, and the National Governors Association. A task performed by these groups is to help state and local governments get federal grants. (Types of Interest Groups, 2012)
Religious Interest Groups Even with separation of church and state that does not preclude religious interest groups from lobbying, all religious groups get involved with politics to a certain degree. Christian Coalition draws support from conservative Protestants, and has an agenda which includes support from school prayer, opposition to homosexual rights, and constitutional amendment banning abortion. (Types of Interest Groups, 2012)
Civil Rights Interest Groups The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), the National Organization for Women (NOW), and the National Gay and Lesbian Task force are all groups that have faced legal discrimination and continue to lack equal opportunity. (Types of Interest Groups, 2012)
Ideological Interest Groups These groups view all issues – federal spending, taxes, foreign affairs, court appointments, and so forth – through the lens of their political ideology, typically liberal or conservative. Americans for Democratic Action (ADA), a liberal group, and the American Conservative Union (ACU) rate elected officials by the same standard. (Types of Interest Groups, 2012)
Single-issue Interest Groups Some interest groups may have a position for or against gun control; it is the only issue in the political arena for the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the National Coalition to Ban Handguns (NCBH). There is abortion, which pits the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) against the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL). There is also Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), which campaigns for strict sentences for driving while intoxicated. (Types of Interest Groups, 2012)
Discuss the relationship between interest groups and political parties. Interest groups and political parties are frequently compared because both are linkage institutions that represent citizens’ wants and beliefs to the government. Political parties are accountable to the electorate and seek to organize and control the operations of government, interest groups lack such accountability and constitute outside political forces that seek to influence government policies. (Browne, n.d.) Political parties exhibit three distinguishing features that set them apart from other linkage institutions. (1) They seek to win elections or electoral positions; (2) they reorganize around those periodic elections and then may become less active, and (3) they depend on the local mobilization of voters who support political candidates but not necessarily the party organization. Interest groups are more issue oriented, are continuously maintained, and are dependent on supporters who identify with their organization. (Browne, n.d.) One thing that differentiates political parties from interest groups arises from the nature of the political system in which they operate and from the various electoral rules and structures that exist in different countries. In corporatist societies, interest groups may be invited to participate in government decisions to the exclusion of competitor interests. In parliamentary system, a party may have a narrow base and may try to win only a small number of legislative seats. (Browne, n.d.)
Explain how interest groups try to influence the president and Congress as these two branches work together to make policy. Trying to persuade government officials through direct inside contact is called the inside game. Lobbying is another term for inside game. Lobbyists normally work for a specific interest group, corporation, or law firm that specializes in professional lobbying. (Interest Groups, 2012) Lobbying originates from the way interest groups played the inside games in the nineteenth century. Congress and other government officials would eat lunch at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C. Lobbyist would wait for the government officials in the lobby of hotel, to talk to them as they came in and out. (Interest Groups, 2012) If the lobbyist wanted to be successful they needed sufficient funds available. Interest groups pay for meals, trips, and other operational expenses, which can be significant. Money alone doesn’t make an interest group influential, but lack of money is usually crippling. (Interest Groups, 2012) Lobbyists try to target officials who work in all three branches and the federal bureaucracy.
Legislative Branch They spend hundreds of millions of dollars to lobby members of Congress on different issues. They try to affect legislation being generated in Congress. Senate tries to publish ethic guidelines to explain the complex federal laws that govern the interaction among Congress and lobbyists. (Interest Groups, 2012)
Executive Branch Some lobbyists have direct access to the president, most have access only to the lower levels of the executive branch. In particular interest groups targets regulatory agencies, which have the ability to set policy affecting commerce and trade throughout the country. (Interest Groups, 2012)
Judicial Branch Interest groups work to influence the courts in a number of ways. They often file amicus curiae (friend of court) briefs, presenting an argument in favor of particular issue. Sometimes interest groups file lawsuits against the government or other parties. (Interest Groups, 2012) They also play the outside game by trying to convince ordinary citizens to apply pressure on their government representatives.
Grassroots Activism Consists of mobilizing large number of people to achieve interest group’s goals. By doing so the interest group can demonstrate they have the support of their particular cause. Interest groups might target a member of Congress by holding rallies in his or her district. Most grassroots activists rely on a number of tactics to achieve their goals; such as the following: (Interest Groups, 2012)
• Rallies and Marches – thousands of people generate excitement and determination of supporters.
• Petitions – groups can also write a petition advocating a certain position on an issue and collect signatures.
• Hill Visits – interest groups will arrange for its members to visit Capitol Hill to meet member of Congress.
• Institutional Advertising – not strictly a form of grassroots activity, institutional advertising, which aims at advancing the image of an organization, can influence public opinion, thereby affecting policy and lawmakers.
• Electoral Strategies – elected officials want to be reelected, so they listen to people who can help or hinder that reelection. Interest groups take advantage of this situation and rally voters to their cause and contributing money to reelection campaigns.
Rallying Voters An interest group cannot legally tell the members who to vote for or not vote for, but they can achieve the same effect by informing their members of candidates’ stances on issues. The Christian Coalition issued “voter guides” which described the candidates’ positions on issues that are important to group members, such as abortion. (Interest Groups, 2012)
PACs and Campaign Contributions Politicians also listen to people and groups who can donate lots of money. Interest groups are not allowed to donate money to campaigns directly, but they can contribute money through their political action committee (PAC). PACs can solicit donations from group members and then give the money to the candidate they support. A PAC can only give $10,000 ($5,000 in the primary campaign, $5,000 in the general election campaign) to each candidate during an election; they can give money to as many candidates as they wish. (Interest Groups, 2012) The money normally is donated to support a particular candidate, but sometimes the PACs fund the opposite candidate to punish the politician they normally support who has not been paying attention to the interest of the PACs. (Interest Groups, 2012)

References
Interest groups. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/interest-group.html
Types of interest groups. (2012, November 29). Retrieved from http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/study_guide/Types-of-Interest-Groups.topicArticleId-65383,articleId-65531.html?citation=true
Browne, W. (n.d.). Interest groups. Retrieved from http://academic.regis.edu/jriley/413 interest_groups.htm
Interest groups. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sparknotes.com/us-government-and-politics/american-government/interest-groups/section4.rhtml