What Are The Three Branches Of Government Interest Groups

Question 7: What are interest groups and in what ways are they involved in each of the three branches of government? In what ways can it be said that interest groups weaken and strengthen democracy?

Interest groups are an interesting part of politics that usually gets overlooked. The term interest group is self-explanatory but the definition can be a bit more politically thorough: An organized group that tries to influence the government to adopt certain interests, policies, or measures also called pressure group. Interest group refers to virtually any voluntary association that seeks to publicly promote and create advantages for its cause. America is a melting-pot of races, religions, languages, cultures, beliefs, and ideas, yet it only

Interest groups going to the legislature trying to bring awareness to their group is called lobbying. Lobbyists try to influence officials working in all three branches and in the federal bureaucracy. The legislative branch has the most interaction with lobbyist considering the congress and the senate can change and create laws that effect each interest group. Interest groups spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year to lobby members of Congress on a range of issues. The Executive branch of government deals with interests groups in the main way of dealing with the masses. The President is often confronted by people who feel he should take a side on their situation, whether they want him to interfere or not is dependent on the group. Interest groups particularly target regulatory agencies, which have the ability to set policy affecting commerce and trade throughout the country. Interest groups usually only go to the Judicial branch of government when matters have already been taken to the Supreme Court. A current situation would have to be gay marriage where interest groups have brought situations for decisions in hopes of change; furthermore they rallied to show both their support and concern. For example, the NAACP worked for years to bring civil rights cases to the Supreme Court. The

Interest groups provide benefits to the citizens, which in return benefits the ruling government. Interest groups increase participation among the people and their government which makes it so that topics that the people believe their officials should be emphasizing are able to advance. Members of interest groups help people become passionate and feel as if they are making a difference in society and altering for the