Listen to a recorded reading of this page:.Take a ten question quiz about this page.Examples include the Better Business Bureau, Public Citizen, and Consumer Watchdog. Examples include the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), NOW (National Organization for Women), AAPD (American Association of People with Disabilities), and AARP (American Association of Retired People).Ĭonsumer - These groups try to influence the government to protect the consumer from big business. Examples include the National Wildlife Federation, the National Audubon Society, and the Sierra Club.Ĭivil Rights - These organizations lobby to improve the civil rights of different groups of people in the country. One example is the AFL-CIO which has over 13 million members.Įnvironmental - These groups take up the cause to help keep the environment clean and protect animals. Organized Labor - Labor unions form some of the most powerful interest groups in the country. Examples of these include the American Medical Association (doctors) and the American Bar Association (lawyers). Trade Associations - Some interest groups are based on a specific trade or profession. Examples include the American Trucking Association, the National Association of Realtors, and the American Paper Institute. There are some larger groups like the United States Chamber of Commerce which try to help business in general, but most groups are formed for a specific industry. They have over 5 million members.īusiness - Business interest groups try to influence government policies to help out their industry. One example of this is the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF). They try to influence legislation that will help out farmers. Public Interest - These groups work on issues that they believe will help protect the rights and lives of the general public.Īgriculture - Some economic interest groups specialize in agriculture. Most interest groups can be put into one of two categories:Įconomic - These groups work to improve the economic benefits (pay, profits, jobs) of the group they represent. There are thousands of interest groups in the United States. They may also send out letters through the mail or run an online ad campaign.
Politics definition for kids tv#
They will run commercials on TV or take out ads in magazines. Sometimes interest groups use marketing to influence both voters and public officials. At the same time, an antiwar interest group may rate that same Congressman high. For example, if the interest group was for a strong military they may rate a Congressman low for voting to lower the military budget. Interest groups often rate representatives on how well they think they are supporting their cause. In order to influence the public officials, lobbyist have meetings, offer legal advice, help to draft laws, and entertain the officials by taking them out to dinner or a show.
Politics definition for kids full#
They work full time trying to convince elected officials to help their group. Many lobbyists are highly paid members of the interest group. Today the people doing the lobbying are called lobbyists. The term "lobbying" comes from a time when citizens would wait in the lobby outside the Congress to talk to the representatives. One of the main ways that interest groups try to influence elected officials is through lobbying. Sometimes these groups are called "special interest groups" or "advocacy groups." They try to get elected officials to pass laws that will benefit their group. They organize in an effort to influence laws and government policy. Political Interest Groups What is a political interest group?Ī political interest group is a group of people that have a specific political interest.
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