Module 6: Participation (Interest Groups and Parties)
Section outline
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It is important to distinguish interest groups from political parties. While they both share the same basic goal, to shape public policy, there are important differences between them. Parties put candidates on ballots with the objective of winning elections and operating the government itself. Interest groups do not do these things. Instead, they focus on influencing elected officials to persuade them to enact policy they prefer.Image Attribution: Timothy Krause Flickr, Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0).
Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:- Define interest groups and describe the characteristics of different types of groups. (CLO 4)
- Explain the ways interest groups try to influence government policies. (CLO 4)
- Define political parties and show how American political parties and party systems have evolved over time. (CLO 5)
- Describe the main characteristics of American parties as organizations in the government and electorate. (CLO 5)
- Explain the important functions that parties perform in the political system. (CLO 1)
To achieve these objectives:- Read Chapter 10 & 11 in Introduction to American Government. Including:
- Introduction to Interest Groups and Lobbying (opens in new window)
- Interest Groups Defined (opens in new window)
- Collective Action and Interest Group Information (opens in new window)
- Interest Groups as Political Participation (opens in new window)
- Pathways of Interest Group Influence (opens in new window)
- Free Speech and the Regulation of Interest Groups (opens in new window)
- Chapter 10 Review (opens in new window)
- Introduction to Congress (opens in new window)
- The Institutional Design of Congress (opens in new window)
- Congressional Elections (opens in new window)
- Congressional Representation (opens in new window)
- House and Senate Organizations (opens in new window)
- The Legislative Process (opens in new window)
- Chapter 11 Review (opens in new window)
Module Pressbooks Resources and Activities
You will find the following resources and activities in this module at the Pressbooks website. Click on the links below to access or complete each item.
- Define interest groups and describe the characteristics of different types of groups. (CLO 4)
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