Enron Story
Interest Groups

• Definition
• Differ from political parties

• Ensure that public policy reflects the interests of members
• Enables participation
• Education
• Agenda setting
• Monitoring

• Americans are better educated and more apt to recognize the benefits of joining an interest groups
• Interest groups have become more numerous with the weakening of political parties in America
• Consumer and environmental issues cut across party lines. Citizens look to interest groups for action and policy change.
• When government acts (regulates the private sectors) it encourages groups to form that may be hurt by its actions. The Great Society welfare program of the 1960s required the federal government to create and work with local groups.

Economic interest groups account for the vast majority of interest groups that
work to advance the economic interests of their members.

   1.business groups
        Take a look at the National Association of Manufactures and the Cleveland Growth Association.
   2.labor unions
        Take a look at AFL-CIO.
   3.agricultural organization
   4.professional associations
        Take a look at  National Funeral Directors Association.

Citizen Groups
Take a look at  Christian Coalition, Common Cause, National Rifle Association Government is Not God
 
Government interest groups
Take a look at National Governors Association
 

Interest groups Formation and Maintenance

Overcoming Obstacles to interest groups Formation

    1.Material/Selective benefits
    2.Solidarity benefits

Interest Group Bias

Interest groups Strategies to Influence Public Policy include

1. PACs
2. Lobbying Government
3. Mobilizing Public Opinion
4. Grass-roots Lobbying
5. Litigating

Public Opinion and its problems
 
See Gallup Poll

National Election Study

The Public's Limited Knowledge About Politics

Who is Informed About Politics?

Demographic Characteristics and Knowledge About Politics

Sources of Knowledge. The three major sources of information about politics
and government are

• Schools
• News media
• Parents

The Acquisition of Opinions and Values
 

•      Opinions or attitudes are individual preferences on specific issues. We all haveopinions on a range of political issues.
•      Values are the basic principles which lead people to form opinions on specific issues. Equality is a value, as is freedom.

Public opinion on issues