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Interest Groups
Interest groups can be defined as organized associations of individuals or establishments that share the same concern and are determined to influence policies by the government to rule in their favor. The interest groups are said to be a fundamental aspect of democracy. The definition of democracy sheds light on the importance of interest groups in the democratic nation.
Democracy can be best described as a governmental system where its policies are implemented based on the vote of the majority by the members that have been duly elected and appointed. These political members are responsible for representing the interests of the people. These ideas are usually diverse and opinionated thus a problem occurs when it comes to the representation of these ideas.
The interest groups serve the role of clearly outlining the varied interests that reach the public and generally influence their decision-making on whether or not to vote for a policy or not. There are different types of interests groups that create contrast through their individual definition. Economic interest groups comprise establishments that are great business empires. These include the likes of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organization. The public interest groups seek political changes that do not necessarily profit them financially. The staffs embodied by activists usually solicit funds from these political changes. The next interest group is the government interest groups that are focused on changes that involve the federal and state systems. The changes being sought after are forwarded to the congress on whether to sanction implementation of policies that incorporate the changes. The religious interest groups are more involved in politics than religion. They are focused on lobbying for policies that support the use of prayer in the school curriculum and the ban on abortion. These groups differ in the different aspects they are involved in, but the same technique is used, they support or lobby for policies that are in favor of their different fields. The participation of the interest groups is warranted when there is a specific need expressed by a group of people. Their role is to represent this group and offer them services that will lead to the desired change. Inside lobbying is that which takes place in the capital where analysis and data are forwarded to a committee of members and staff and negotiation between the lobbyist and policymakers occur. It is effective in that the lobbyist gets a chance to have a face-to-face interaction with the policy makers that increases their chances of influencing the relevant parties. Outside lobbying is an activity that occurs in the outskirts of the Capitol and involves relieving the pressure and politics on the topic of discussion. It involves activities such as assisting reporter, calling news amongst others.