Public Interest Groups

American Association of Retired Persons:AARP is a large organization and spent $9,900,000 lobbying in 2012. The AARP only donates to individuals, not parties. They choose to do this technique because it is the most effective technique and their large size

The interest groups often lobby members of the congress for favorable policy. The members of congress often listen as well because they are depended on the interest groups for political advertising and campaigning during the

In a pluralist democracy like in the United States, interest groups have played a major role throughout the history through highly organized factions and are aimed at different levels of government. Lobbying is one of the tactics of the interest groups to aid their agenda through implementing new laws and regulations. "If you want to have your face in the light, you should have your back in the dark". Similarly, the influences of the interests groups and lobbyists have good and bad effects on the people and the society.

The definition of an interest group is any organization that actively seeks to influence public policy (Patterson, 2013). The two types of interest groups that influence the public are economic groups and citizens’ groups.

Chapter one of American Public Policy, by B. Guy Peters, gives an in depth explanation of what American public policy is. The definition that Peters gives of Public policy is the” sum of government activities whether pursued directly or through agents, as those activities have an influence on the lives of citizens” (4). This definition of public policy can be categorized into three levels that will make differences in citizen’s lives. The first level is policy choices. This level is when, “decisions made by politicians, civil servants, or other granted authority that are directed toward using public power to affect the lives of the citizens” (4). All of these choices that are made by the president, congressman, or others can evolve into a

Interest groups have a lot of influence over decision that the government makes and has made. These groups, when formed right, are highly organized and have a definite agenda they are trying to push that is important to them. Interest groups will lobby in congress as well as other levels of government to get new laws and regulations passed.

The United States of America has a system of checks and balances put in place in our government to insure no one part of the government has too much power. There is the legislative, executive, and judicial branch that all play apart in making and upholding the statues of this great nation (Shi & Singh, 2013). One type of statute that they pass is considered a health policy. Health policy can be anywhere from ensuring the quality of air to funding for research and development (Shi & Singh, 2013). The issue that occurs with these various health policy statutes is that there are special interest groups, which try to influence the making, passing, or killing of the proposed health policy (Shi & Singh, 2013). Special interest groups are associations

Public interest lobbies form a linkage element between citizens and governmental elites. In lobbying they articulate what they perceive to be the issue positions of certain sectors of society. Public interest groups also play an important role in facilitating the political participation of their members and related attentive publics. By helping to bring new issues to the table, interest groups influence the shape of political agendas.

Congressional committees, bureaucracy and interests group all have a big part in getting policy changed. The interest’s groups all have a big part in getting policy changed. The interest groups have an enormous influence on congress as well as public opinion. Which allows them to shape the public’s perception of the congressional committees and bureaucracy. When changing a law or policy the interest group provide a lot of information that the bureaucracy or congressional committees committee, bureaucracy and interest groups all work together can be very powerful in the changing of policy.

Analysis of the Methods Used to Influence Policy Makers or Legislators to Support the Policy

An interest group also known as a special interest group or a lobby is an organized group of individuals, organizations, or businesses who share a goal. The interest group forms an alliance in support of their cause to influence public policy and government officials in the group 's favor. The goal of the group could be focused on small group, such as the Japan Eraser Manufacturer 's Association; or the goal could be focused on a large public group, such as family and friends of public school-aged children in the United States. "The most important lobbying forces in any society are the various entities of government: national, regional, and local government agencies and institutions such as the military" (Thomas).???????????

Although there are many problems that arise throughout the United States over time, only a select few will ever make it to the policy-making agenda of the federal government. Many average American citizens will designate these problems to be addressed by the government, yet those elected officials that make policy will rarely respond to these requests. All of this is due to a multitude of factors that will cause an issue to be placed on the agenda that is deserving of review and action.

The most common activity for interest groups is lobbying. But that is not the only activity they are involved in, they are also involved in activities like forming Political Action Committees (PAC’s) and election activities. Lobbying is done by groups to influence the government decisions on policies. In the United States, almost all of the interest groups employ lobbyists to influence policy making. Lobbyists work to try to persuade governmental officials. Some ways they achieve their goals are persuasion, economic leverage, and disruption. The most important rule to lobbying is the entrance. You must be able to influence an official. The more spread out the interest groups money is throughout the country, the more likely it is that the legislators will listen to the concerns of that group.

Interest groups and advocacy groups have an undeniably strong influence in Washington, and while the results of lobbying efforts are not often touted, they sway policy in areas like energy, housing, public finance, education, gun control and many more. These interest groups may represent parochial interests, but there is surely an area of policy that matches most splintered-off factions. While they’ve been portrayed as shadowy forces in lawmaking, “Interest Group Influence on US Policy Change: An Assessment Based on Policy History” by Matt Grossmann attempts to quantify and

     We elect politicians on the basis on the issues by which they stand, and these issues are either held up or weakened by the numerous interest groups that exist today. Interest groups target both major and minor issues, using all of their resources to sponsor or overpower the groups’ concern. Interest groups are composed of a limited range of the body of voters who have a great stake in the issues their group support. They make evident the issues their group supports. Their resources are used in an attempt to make their issue public policy. Interest groups are persistent; they do not give up until they succeed. They lobby congress, take legal action,