Are you aware that there are organizations in the U.S. that use money and pressure to change public policy? Like it or not, such organizations do exist, and they’re called interest groups. So, who are they and how do they do what they do?

Interest groups are private organizations whose members share certain views and work to shape public policy. Public policy includes all of the goals the government sets and the various courses of action it pursues to achieve these goals. Interest groups exist specifically to shape public policy.

Political parties and interest groups differ in a few ways. First, political parties are responsible for the nominating process, while interest groups hope to influence those nominations. The primary focus of political parties is to win elections and control government, while interest groups are busy influencing the policies created by the government. Political parties concern themselves with a whole range of public affairs, while interest groups tend to focus on issues that their members are concerned about.

Interest groups raise awareness of public affairs or issues that concern citizens at large, and represent people who share attitudes rather than those who share geography. They provide specialized information to government agencies and legislatures, and can be vehicles for political participation. Interest groups keep tabs on various public agencies and officials, and often compete with one another for influence and size.

So what do you think of interest groups? Is it a good thing that there are groups that represent specific mindsets in the political process? Is it bad for the country to have money in politics? It’s a divisive argument that you don’t have to make a decision on just yet. We’ll be talking more about interest groups as we dig deeper into the political system.

In an ideal world, the public and private sectors are kept separate, kind of like church and state. But in this day and age, money has made its way into the political process in the form of interest groups. While the name “interest group” sounds like the name of a glorified book club, they actually wield more influence than some politicians. So what is an interest group?

Most interest groups were founded on the basis of an economic interest. This includes business, labor, agricultural, and professional interests. Some are grounded in geographic areas, and others are based on a cause like environmental protection. Some even promote the welfare of certain groups of people, like retired citizens, veterans, or minorities.

Public interest groups are interest groups that seek to institute certain public policies that will benefit all or most of the people in the country, whether or not they belong to that organization. They reach out to the public to supply information in support of the group’s interests, to build a positive image for the group and promote particular policies. The most powerful tool in an interest group’s arsenal is propaganda. Prop-a-what-now? Propaganda - a technique of persuasion aimed at influencing individual behavior. The goal of propaganda is to create a particular belief, so it could be either true or false. Interest groups disregard information that does not support its cause, and often times only present one side of an issue.

Celebrity endorsement can be used in propaganda. Showing a young, hot actor using a new product can cause impressionable teens to go out and buy a product. This type of propaganda is called “testimonial.” Another instance of propaganda can frequently be seen in political attack ads. If a politician goes on television and dishes out insults towards his competitor, it is typically a form of propaganda called “name calling.” If a Republican called a Democrat a communist, that would be “name calling.”

Political action committees, also known as PACs, raise and distribute money to candidates who further their goals. Lobbying is an activity by which groups, like PACs, put pressure on legislators and influence the legislative process. Lobbying carries beyond the legislature, though, and is brought into government agencies, the executive branch, and even courts. Nearly all important organized interest groups maintain lobbyists in Washington, DC.

Lobbyists send articles, reports, and other information to office holders. They testify before legislative committees and bring grassroots pressure to bear through emails, letters, and phone calls from constituents. Lobbyists even rate candidates and publicize the ratings, going so far as to make campaign contributions to legislators.

There is a mixed perception of interests groups and lobbyists in America. Not everyone wants money influencing the political system. As such, the job of a lobbyist has the potential to be either a very positive thing for the public, or a detriment to the political process. What do you think?