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Government Interest Groups

Decent Essays

Interest groups are formed to influence policy within the levels of government by lobbying elected officials to vote for policies favored by the groups. The basic definition of an interest group is a “group of citizens who are organized and attempt to influence legislation so that it reflects their interest or policy goals” (Marion & Oliver, p. 281. 2012). Some groups focus only on a single issue, while others focus on larger areas of public policy. Some interest groups are created and dissolve over a period of a single election, while others have a long standing of influencing elections and public policy choices. Some choose to focus not only on government, but on persuading the public or other non-governmental organizations to support …show more content…

In politics, an advocate is a government decision maker who commands the attention of other government decision makers and moves forward a particular agenda on some political issue. Interest groups’ chances of success increase when they enlist the assistance of government officials as policy advocates. Advocates are helpful in other situations as well. No matter what the interest group wants from the government, no matter what government agency the interest group is lobbying, it is better to have an individual on the inside pushing the groups point of view. When an interest group is looking for that advocate to lead their cause, not only should they look at the legislatures but also the president, courts and the …show more content…

However, for an interest group to accomplish its goals, the group must have three main characteristics. First , the group must have longevity because some cases can last for years or even decades. Second, the interest group must have sufficient resources in order to have enough money to take the case and even have a legal staff. Finally, the interest group must have the capability to generate media attention. This publicity will enhance the generation of more funding, favorable public opinion and larger dissemination of the legal arguments and evidence (Marion et al.,

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