Political Significance of Interest Groups

Question 1

Functions

Answer 1

Interest groups give citizens the chance to participate in political decision making and influence specific policy areas, including policies on guns and the environment.
Interest groups educate the public and make them better aware of policy issues and solutions. Interest groups represent the interests of specific groups in society.
Interest groups aim to influence political parties agendas so that they prioritise the group’s interests in party policy. Pressure groups monitor and scrutinise the government’s policies.

Question 2

Tactics

Answer 2

Interest groups lobby to provide information to policymakers and to influence how politicians in Congress vote on certain issues. Interest groups organise grassroots activities to have their interests heard, including marches, social media campaigns and phone blitz campaigns on members of Congress.

Question 3

Tactics: support campaigns

Answer 3

Interest groups support or oppose candidates for president and Congress in elections based on their policy positions.
Interest groups fund politicians through PACs and Super PACs to make financial donations to campaigns. The National Rifle Association (NRA) supported Donald Trump’s presidential campaign because he opposed gun controls.

Question 4

Political significance

Answer 4

Pressure groups have impacted major policy areas including gun control and abortion. The NRA has been key in the national debate against gun controls and lobbied members of Congress to vote a ban on assault weapons in 2013. NARAL is in favour of abortion and held rallies to oppose the appointment of Brett Kavanaugh, who they believe will restrict the right to abortion.

Question 5

Reasons for significance

Answer 5

Political parties are weak and decentralised organisations in America, meaning that citizens look to interest groups as a way to become politically involved. The United States is a diverse society in which its citizens have many special interests which interest groups can represent. There are many opportunities for pressure groups to influence, with the legislature, executive and judiciary all targeted by pressure groups because of their decision making powers.