Special Interests Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 6

Special Interests - Essay Example Despite the fact that interest groups and political parties are separate institutions in terms of the functions they perform, today they have formed joint associations. Interest groups therefore have a joint association with political parties and also try to influence the president and Congress as these two branches work together to make policy. This paper defines an interest group and gives examples, discusses the relationship between interest groups and political parties, and explains how interest groups try to influence the president and Congress as the two branches work together to make policy. Keywords: Interest Group, Political Party, Policy, Interests, Lobbyists, Lobbying, President, Congress, Associations, Relationship, Campaign Finance, Grassroots Activities 1. Define an interest group, with examples People have different pursuits that they attach value to and defend. Such pursuits despite being focused towards different goals are all known as interests. Interests can theref ore be ethnic, religious, economic, or based on a range of other issues. ... 9). Interest groups have different structures and sizes, with some having many members, while others have no members at all. In the same way, some are organized in formal ways with bylaws, leaders, members, and holding of meetings regularly, while others are not organized in a formal way, hence loosely knit and have a few rules, with no leaders. Interest groups are therefore of different types, with the major types representing the areas of the economy. These include economic interest groups, environmental groups, public interest groups, and other interest groups. Economic interest groups. They form the largest category of interest groups. Bardes, Shelley, and Schmidt (2008) point out that â€Å"the major sectors that seek influence in Washington, D.C., include business, agriculture, labor unions and their members, government workers, and professionals† (p. 225). Trade associations and business interest groups are formed by those in business, and their main role is to influenc e the policies made by the government that have an impact on their businesses. Examples of business interest groups in the United States include the National Association of manufacturers and the U.S. Chamber of commerce that represent businesses and manufacturing matters respectively. Agricultural interest groups are formed by agricultural farmers and their employees. Despite the fact that they represent a very small number of the US population, farmers and their employees in the United States have been able to influence legislations touching on their interests. Examples include the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Farmers Union, The peanut Growers Group, The American Dairy Association, and the National Soybean Association (Bardes, Shelley, &