Interest Groups and Their Role in Creating Public Policy

1. What is public policy?
Public policy are all of the goals a government sets and the various courses of action it pursues as it attempts to realize these goals. Such laws include things such as speed limits and seat belt laws.

2. List and describe the three main areas in which political parties and interest groups differ.

The making of nominations- Political parties nominate their candidates unlike interest groups who do not. If for instance an interest group nominated their candidates they would be considered a political party.

In their primary focus- Political parties are more interested in winning the election for their candidate so that they can get into office where interest groups are more interested in controlling or influencing the policies that the government creates.

In the scope of their interests- Political parties are concerned about the issues that affect the public as a whole because they want to create change be elected into office. This is the exact opposite of what interest groups are concerned about. Interest groups are really only concerned about the issues that effect the members of that group.

a) How do interest groups stimulate interest in public affairs?
What interest groups do is take on issues that affect the public the most as a hole. They raise awareness of public affairs mostly by developing and promoting those policies they favor and oppose the policies they are not in favor of.

b) Name at least three additional functions of interest groups.

Interest groups represent their members on the basis of shared attitudes rather than on the basis of geography. Public officials are elected from districts drawn on maps.

Interest groups also provide information on such things as employment, prices, and many other things to the government. These data are important to the making of public policy in government.

Interest groups add another element to the checks and balances feature of the political process. Man of them keep close tabs on the work of various public agencies and officials which helps to make sure that they perform their tasks in responsible and effective ways.

4. On what basis are interest group often criticized?
Some interest groups have an influence far out of proportion to their size or their importance. This means that all decisions are not always fair. It is sometimes also hard to tell just who or how many people a group really represents. Man groups do not in fact represent the views of all of the people who they claim to speak for. And finally some groups use tactics that if they were to become widespread would undermine the whole political system. This includes such things as bribes and threats.

5. We would fill the fourth type of interest group. Because we would pool together to form a group that is looking for political change in our school government that would combat racial discrimination. By coming together and using all of our energy to make change we would have a better chance of making a difference in our school.

6. I would want to know what this group considers as better schools. If I just gave them money they could be using it to do things that I am against such as getting more teachers laid off and cutting school programs where I thought that they would as teachers and programs. I would first have to find out what this interests groups idea of better schools is.