about interest groups

All interest groups share a desire to influence government policies that benefit society or minority groups that are unable to argue for their rights. Interest groups are always attempting to garner public favor and claim a stake in a country’s political advancement. Sometimes their goal is to develop a plan that only benefits their members. The methods they use to achieve their goals are usually lobbies or the application of pressure to obtain strategic outcomes in their favor. However, interest groups are naturally formed by society and can range from small to highly large and sophisticated groupings in every political system. The role of these groups in political systems is important because they provide platforms under which individuals can express their concerns to the political system. Interest groups have always been a perpetual component of political systems that are either partisan or non-partisan democracy. The goals of most interest groups are vague. However, their ability to achieve better lobbying techniques give them the full opportunity to be able to present serious challenges to the political systems. This paper provides a wider focus on the different roles that these individuals play in the society.

However, it is important to note that the freedom and rights that are exercised in the country too have contributed to the growth and better performance of the interest groups. These include unlimited freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.

Origin of Interest Groups

In the beginning of 19th century, several countries had started to see an emergence of lobby groups that had been created depending on the organizations concerned. Political interest groups were not left behind in the movements that had sprung all over the countries. The most important groups that demanded greater consideration were the political interest groups. This was because of the ideas they tended to bring into the political debate. In addition, most of the ideas that the political interest groups put in place were directly questioning the operation of the governmental organizations.

Due to this, it took the governments of that time to initiate the processes of registering the lobby groups due to many conflicts associated with its denial and frustration. The interest groups were initiated with a group of members with the same interest, and they engaged their grievances in a manner suggesting that they were part of political affiliations. This reason got the researchers the idea to focus on the study of finding the impact of these interest groups on politics. The involvement of interest groups seemed to be quite heavy on the political scenes because of the complexity of their demands.

The study of the interrelationship between the interest groups and politicians can be divided twofold. Positive impacts are the advantageous effects that tend to raise serious issues and concerns in the day-to-day political environments and scene. These impacts were considered as a responsibility in its relationship with the political practices. However, do they play roles positively in the atmosphere of conducting their duties? Different studies have shown several impacts that the roles of interest groups or lobby groups have made in conducting their roles in the political stage.

Role of Interest Groups in Politics

Interest groups are also known as special groups and are any association or individuals that team up to lobby for a given ideas. Interest groups form a platform where citizens can give opinions, demand for rights and express their ideas to the elected leaders. In most cases, people can find interest groups that can enhance the expression of their concerns regardless of specializations. Frequently the political class tends to ignore the rights of the people; it is, important for the interest groups to advocate for the needs of the society. The political activities may sometimes lead to violence as in the case of civil wars that occurred in the United States. Therefore, interest groups can help reduce the conflicts at the time when even the government cannot provide a solution to the people.

Interest groups are essential platforms through which people can express their ideas, views, and needs. Citizens can respect interest groups that are focused on their concerns. When people come together to exercise their rights and freedom by discussing ideas that can help them, the social bond increases, a situation that enables the lawmakers to consider the interest of the common people or the society at large. The role of interest groups in political systems is essential because they provide platform where people can present their demands and rights to the political system. Interest groups have always been unending and very indispensable components of political practices; they are usually partisan or non-partisan groups. The objectives of most interest groups are indefinite, however, their ability to achieve better lobbying techniques give them the opportunity to be able to present serious challenges to the political systems.

Different authors have deeply looked into the reasons why people come together to form lobby groups that are also known as interest groups, they have come up with several reasons explaining why people associate. Interestingly both the formal and informal traditions of the country’s system support the existence of lobby groups. The role of interest groups in the political systems vital, their creation and the subsequent impact on the political system is eminent. Different interest groups promote different public interest that leads to the protection of citizens, the workers, and other members of the society. Interest groups also have their limits, taking into consideration that some political groups also have the same idea of directing the society into the right direction. In most cases, the Interest groups usually perform their functions well in the areas where there is political instability. On the other hand, they can also be found in the politically stable nations where they lead in the negotiation on behalf of the minority groups and represent the interest of individuals who cannot get in touch with the political groups. The interest groups usually work within the democratic rights, and they usually try to operate within the laws of different countries or the people that they represent. The interest groups play great roles in providing the links between the state response and mobilization.

Business Rights Lobby

Businesses play major roles in the politics of a country. Several corporations carry the mandate of bringing into the political scene their skills and roles in the economy, and because elected officials usually have to stand up to their national economic performance, they would fear anti-business policies since they would affect performance. However, businesses also need to acquire direct influence in their markets to ensure the achievement of their set objectives and to bring their vast resources into the political scene to achieve their political goals. In most cases, businessmen find interest groups that can facilitate the expression of their concerns regardless of nature of the political systems. In most cases, the political class usually tends to ignore the rights of people, it is, therefore, essential for the interest groups to advocate for the needs of the society. The business rights lobby is usually formed from a large number of trade associations that come together to represent the whole industry’s opinions in political platforms. The above interest groups are related to the chamber of commerce; they advocate on behalf of the business organizations. In addition, these companies usually seek for commitment to legislators during campaigns by funding their political rallies.

Labor Unions

Labor unions sprang slowly at the beginning of the 19th century; nevertheless, they only gained an important place in the political structure in 1950s. Constitutional enactments had bargained in different countries and allowed unions to grow faster. Later in that year, they had grown to a maximum percentage that had been expected by the government. Later, they decreased surprisingly because of economic issues.These unions, therefore, have shown complete compatibility with the political systems asserting their power and influence in the elections and the government too, meeting some of their demands in the business scene.

Intergovernmental Groups

This comprises of interest groups that represent states and local government lobbying for their welfares at the national level. Although such groups usually lack specific duties, they function as well as the other lobby groups do. Their main role in the political space can be seen when they represent the views of their members to the upper and lower houses of parliament and exceptionally represent their intentions in the media. In the United States, this has been evident in the cases of National Governors Association; they have helped the Congress to develop the social welfare legislation. Intergovernmental groups are operational in both politically stable and politically unstable nations where they lead in advocating for the rights of the people on behalf of the vulnerable groups and represent the demands of the people who cannot reach the political groups. The interest groups usually work within the democratic rights, and they usually try to operate within the laws of different countries or the people that they represent.

Public Interest Groups

In the wake of 1970, a growing demand and consequent growth of public interest groups were witnessed. According to studies conducted by political scientists, these groups do not support goals that benefit an individual or some person in the membership, but they lobby for societal concerns. Initially, these public interest groups aimed majorly at environmental protection, women’s rights, and civil rights, suddenly, their roles changed over time to political system bargains. Later they organized into new issue group that included child abuse, domestic violence, and gay\lesbian rights. They have also included activities that are focused on helping the poor.

Professional Groups

This is a unique and interesting association of professionals, which include professional career association, such as Medical Association. They mainly focus on shared welfares. It also enhances the wellbeing of the people. They are usually represented in the upper house and congress in the United States of America. They are also restricted to participate in bipartisan politics, but they can testify before the Congress on issues that compromise their work and profession as a whole. These associations are important as the voices of the poor to the political process as they can raise their concerns in case something goes wrong.

Interest Group’s Negative Impacts

Interest groups pose effects to both its members and the political groups. Interest groups pose the tendency to corrupt and bribe the political systems as it uses the power of resources to ensure that they get their demands. The businesspersons who drive their personal interests into the side of power in an attempt to achieve their interest use their massive resources to engage the political institutions in enhancing their demands. This means that bribery and corruption are committed in such a case.

Interests groups also enhance the gap between social classes. This happens since whenever these people lobby in the same group, they would focus on their personal needs and not the needs of the minority. The coming of specific individuals together to lobby for their favors disowns the interest of several people in the society.

Interest groups also cause mismanagement of resources in governance and leadership. Most of the politicians would want to please the interest groups due to several reasons, for example, when they need to be sponsored during their election time. The politicians would choose to benefit from the groups which are very influential rather than follow the due processes of law. The above situation will, therefore, jeopardize many issues in the society. Lastly, the self-interest groups may lead to negative choices during elections in the different political system. Because in the election years the groups that hold very influential positions in the society tend to lean aside depending on their interests or relationships. Many times when such politicians win the elections, they take power not right but because of influence.

Limits on Interest Group Effectiveness

There are many issues that limit interest groups from achieving what they are expected to or what they intend to do. Usually, some of these factors depend on how these groups employ their chief resources in the dispensation of their duties.

Financial Incapability

The importance of finance in the completion of plans of groups cannot be underestimated. A good amount of finance is needed for a group to influence lawmaking process. Furthermore, there is a continuous need for the staff to effect communication frequently to its members in the provision of services. Groups that do not have enough financial income cannot make its desires go through the system of legislation. Other factors such as membership and cohesion may also influence the financial incapability. This calls for the attraction of entrepreneurs who seek professional and material recompensed when they establish successful groups which then requires the surplus flow of finance among members of a given group. Information is usually a powerful means that any group or organization can possess. Information in a group passes through several channels, including the interest group itself, this encourages sufficient decision making among members. Information can flow from legislative house to executive department and back to the group member’s only when there is a good flow of information in the company. The finally sharing information allows the exchange of ideas from interest groups members to citizens and also within members.

Number and Cohesion of Members

Interest groups with many supporters the most beneficial. This is because of the higher the number, the greater the ability of a group to perform its roles. Most politicians are only champions for the majority during decision making, because of the need to merge this numbers to their own following. It is worthwhile to note that interest groups play an important role in the development of social and political conditions of a community. Most of the outcomes of self-interest groups activities are meant to be positive and advantageous in the communities where they are based, in fact, the reasons a why they are formed is to change the lives of members, and this would finally influence the other lives in the society at large. Nevertheless, interest groups when related to politics appear as devastating as they are significant. This is because of the usual complexity nature of politics but the most important thing to be done is to correct some negative impacts brought about by the interrelationship with politics. The interest groups can cope up with the everyday situations and improve their performance.

This research, recommends that to create effective and creative interests groups that would help outline issues politically, there should be smaller but more diplomatic groups, which would lead to better financing and utilization of resources. Interest groups are naturally created by the society and exist from narrow groups to very large and sophisticated groups in every political system. The role of such groups in political systems is important because they provide platforms under which individuals can express their concerns to the political system. The interest groups should also have an authentic common body that is politically oriented, which would frequently aid in support of resource mobilization when there is a need. Little public association by citizens is a reason for the decline of interest groups. Therefore, there should be an increased lobby groups to cater for the interest of the people in different communities.

Summary

It is worthwhile to note that interest groups play an important role in the development of social and political systems of a community. The outcomes produced by the interest group’s activities are meant to be positive and advantageous in the communities they are based in. In fact, the basic reason why they are formed is to regulate the activities of members, and this would finally enhance the expression of human rights in the society at large. Due to the complex nature of politics, it is necessary to correct some negative impacts brought about by the interrelationship in politics; Interest Groups can cope up with the everyday situations and improve their performance. Their role in political systems is important because they provide platforms under which individuals can express their concerns to the political system. Interest groups have always been perpetual and very essential components of political systems; they are usually partisan or non-partisan democracies. Interest groups are essential platforms through which people can express their ideas, views, and needs. Citizens can adhere to the interest groups that are focused on their concerns. When people come together to exercise their rights and freedom by exploring the ideas that can help them, the social bond increases, a situation that enables the lawmakers to reflect on the interest of the common people or the society at large. The study of the interrelationship between the interest groups and politicians can be divided into two. Positive impacts are the advantageous effects that tend to raise serious issues and concerns in the day-to-day political environments.

Bibliography

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