How many interest groups in the united states

Moreover, campaign finance laws require disclosure of campaign contributions given to political candidates by organizations. Visit this site to research donations and campaign contributions given to political candidates by organizations.

Lobbying is not limited to Washington, DC, however, and many interests lobby there as well as in one or more states. Each state has its own laws describing which individuals and entities must register, so the definitions of lobbyists and interests, and of what lobbying is and who must register to do it, also vary from state to state.

Therefore, while a citizen contacting a lawmaker to discuss an issue is generally not viewed as lobbying, an organization that devotes a certain amount of time and resources to contacting lawmakers may be classified as lobbying, depending on local, state, or federal law.

Largely for this reason, there is no comprehensive list of all interest groups to tell us how many there are in the United States. Estimates of the number vary widely, suggesting that if we use a broad definition and include all interests at all levels of government, there may be more than , Political scientists have categorized interest groups in a number of ways. Membership groups often consist of people who have common issues or concerns, or who want to be with others who share their views.

For those who advocate greater regulation of access to firearms, such as background checks prior to gun purchases, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence is a membership organization that weighs in on the other side of the issue.

In addition to membership organizations, companies and corporate entities and governments may themselves have a compelling interest to be represented in front of one or more branches of government. For example, Verizon and Coca-Cola will register to lobby in order to influence policy in a way that benefits them.

A governmental institution, such as a state government, a county, or a municipality may also be represented by a legislative liaison , whose job it is to present issues to other governmental decision makers.

Interest groups also include association s , which are typically groups of institutions that join with others, often within the same trade or industry trade associations , and have similar concerns. The logic is that there is strength in numbers, and if members can lobby for tax breaks or eased regulations for an entire industry, they may all benefit.

These common goals do not, however, prevent individual association members from employing in-house lobbyists or contract lobbying firms to represent their own business or organization as well.

Indeed, many members of associations are competitors who also seek representation individually before the legislature. Visit the website of an association like the American Beverage Association or the American Bankers Association and look over the key issues it addresses. Do any of the issues it cares about surprise you? What areas do you think members can agree about? Are there issues on which the membership might disagree?

Why would competitors join together when they normally compete for business? Finally, sometimes individuals volunteer to represent an organization. They are called amateur or volunteer lobbyists, and are typically not compensated for their lobbying efforts. In some cases, citizens may lobby for pet projects because they care about some issue or cause. A Florida member of the NRA proudly displays his support of gun rights a. Interest groups serve as a means of political participation for their members.

The primary goal of interest groups is to influence decision-makers and public policy through advocacy on behalf of members. According to political scientists Jeffrey Berry and Clyde Wilcox, interest groups provide a means of representing people and serve as a link between them and government.

Another function of interest groups is to help educate the public. Someone concerned about the environment may not need to know what an acceptable level of sulfur dioxide is in the air, but by joining an environmental interest group, he or she can remain informed when air quality is poor or threatened by legislative action. Interest groups also try to get issues on the government agenda and to monitor a variety of government programs. Lobbyists representing a variety of organizations employ different techniques to achieve their objectives.

Numerous surveys of lobbyists have confirmed that the vast majority rely on these inside strategies. For example, nearly all report that they contact lawmakers, testify before the legislature, help draft legislation, and contact executive agencies. Trying to influence government appointments or providing favors to members of government are somewhat less common insider tactics. Many lobbyists also use outside lobbying or indirect lobbying tactics, whereby the interest attempts to get its message out to the public.

An environmental interest group like the Sierra Club, for example, might issue a press release or encourage its members to contact their representatives in Congress about legislation of concern to the group. It might also use outside tactics if there is a potential threat to the environment and the group wants to raise awareness among its members and the public.

Members of Congress are likely to pay attention when many constituents contact them about an issue or proposed bill. Many interest groups, including the Sierra Club, will use a combination of inside and outside tactics in their lobbying efforts, choosing whatever strategy is most likely to help them achieve their goals.

In February , members of the Sierra Club joined a march on Los Angeles City Hall to demand action on climate change and protest the development of the Keystone pipeline. Credit: Charlie Kaijo. While influencing policy is the primary goal, interest groups also monitor government programs and activity and provide information to the public and to lawmakers about effectiveness or ineffectiveness of governmental programs from their point of view.

Thus, a member of an interest group or a citizen concerned about the issues or the governmental activities that the interest group monitors, need not be an expert on the legislative process or the technical or legal details of a proposed bill to be kept informed and to know when to politically participate on issues of interest.

Interest groups regularly inform members, the general public, and governmental decision-makers of their evaluations of issues and governmental activities of concern, and they suggest changes to programs and services. Interest groups facilitate political participation in a number of ways. Some members become active within a group, working on behalf of the organization to promote its agenda.

Some interests work to increase membership, inform the public about issues the group deems important, or organize rallies and promote get-out-the-vote efforts. Sometimes groups will utilize events to mobilize existing members or encourage new members to join. Interest groups and organizations represent both economic and non-economic issues in the United States. Economic interest groups usually seek particularized benefits from government that favor a work-related single interest or a narrow set of economically related interests focused on some industry sector, occupational group, or employee union.

On the other hand, c itizen-public issue interest groups represent individuals who have organized to advocate on behalf of a cause or purpose they consider important that is not directly related to their employment or work situation. For example, citizen groups such as the Sierra Club and the National Resources Defense Council have primarily focused on environmental issues.

These citizen public issue groups often call themselves public interest groups. Christian Action Network. Citizens For Trump. Concerned Women for America. Conservative Congress. Conservative Review. Faith and Freedom Coalition. Great America Alliance. Heritage Action for America. House Conservatives Fund. House Freedom Fund. Independence Hall Foundation. Keep America Safe. Legion for the Survival of Freedom, Inc.

Liberty Lobby. Liberty Central. MAGA Coalition. National Black Republican Association. New Journey PAC. Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund. The John Birch Society. The Tea Party Leadership Fund. Traditional Values Coalition. Voices of Conservative Women. Winning for Women. Progressive Patriots Fund. Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants.

National Association of Police Organizations. National Criminal Justice Association. Center for Security Policy. Council for a Livable World. National Defense PAC. One Nation PAC. Peace Action. Senate Conservatives Fund. Voices for Creative Nonviolence. Drug Policy Alliance Network. Tobacco Free Kids Action Fund. Common Defense. Concord Coalition. Emergency Committee for American Trade. Empower America Project. Liberty for All.

Partnership for America. People's Action. Republican Jewish Coalition. United States Women's Chamber of Commerce. All Women's Progress. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. American Federation of Teachers. American Security Council Foundation. Association For Supervision and Curriculum Development. CASA in Action. Elect Educators Everywhere. Home School Legal Defense Association. National Education Association.

The Center for Education Reform. The Network for Public Education Action. Arab American Institute. Blue America. Candidates With A Contract. Courage to Change. Democracy For America. Emerge America. Equality PAC. Every District. Flip The Senate. Indian American Impact Fund. Justice Democrats. Latino Victory Project. Leadership Now Project. Let America Vote. Los Angeles Women's Collective. National Women's Political Caucus.

New American Leaders Action Fund. NewDems Action Fund. Off The Sidelines. Our Revolution. Progressive Rising. Progressive Turnout Project. Run for Something. Serve America PAC. Sister District Project. Sustainable Politician Project. The Collective Political Action Committee. Voter Protection Project. Women's Campaign Fund. American Benefits Council. American Workers Coalition. Federally Employed Women. National Employment Lawyers Association. Warren Democrats.

Women Employed. Working Families. Workplace Fairness. American Energy Alliance. American Wind Energy Association.

Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions. ClearPath Action Fund. Consumer Energy Alliance. Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. Solar Tribune. Sunrise Movement. United Mine Workers of America. Alliance for Retired Americans. Income Movement. National Council of Senior Citizens.

The Retired Enlisted Association. United Seniors Association. American Lands Alliance. Californians for Population Stabilization. Citizens for Global Solutions. Clean Water Action. Climate Hawks Vote. Competitive Enterprise Institute.

Environment America. Friends of the Earth Action. League of Conservation Voters. National Parks Conservation Association. NextGen America.

Rachel's Action Network. The Climate Mobilization. American Academy of Family Physicians. American Family Association. American Family Voices.

Christian Coalition of America. National Parent Teacher Association. Population Action International. Population Connection. National Association of Counties. American Shareholders Association. Financial Executives International. League of Southeastern Credit Unions. National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors.

Americans for Limited Government. Blue Dog Coalition. Combat Veterans for Congress. Freedom First Society. Independence Caucus. Maggie's List. National Tax Limitation Committee. National Taxpayers Union. Republican Liberty Caucus. Tea Party Express. The Cato Institute. The Club for Growth. The Leadership Project for America. The Libertarian Party.

Freedom Democrats. Progressive Democrats of America. Progressive Punch. A large number of consumer advocacy groups and environmental organizations, such as the Environmental Defense Fund EDF , fall into this category. Perhaps best known is the League of Women Voters, which promotes simplified voting procedures and an informed electorate, and Common Cause, which backs more effective government.

Common Cause is a strong critic of other interest groups for their excessive campaign contributions, and it lobbies for campaign finance reform. Given the structure of our federal system, it is not surprising that there are organizations to bring the issues of local and state government before Congress and the administration.

One critical task performed by these groups is to help state and local governments get federal grants. These funds are important because they are a central means in which states get back money taken away through federal taxes.

As the budget has tightened and as more Republicans have won governorships, these groups have become more likely to seek more local control over policies instead of more cash. The separation of church and state does not preclude religious interest groups from lobbying; indeed, it is safe to say that all religious groups are involved in politics to some degree.

The Christian Coalition, which draws most of its support from conservative Protestants, has an agenda that includes support for school prayer, opposition to homosexual rights, and a constitutional amendment banning abortion. It became an important factor in American politics, particularly in the Republican party, in the early s.

Their concerns involve more than civil rights, however, and encompass social welfare, immigration policy, affirmative action, a variety of gender issues, and political action. Ideological interest groups view all issues — federal spending, taxes, foreign affairs, court appointments, and so forth — through the lens of their political ideology, typically liberal or conservative.

Their support for legislation or policy depends exclusively on whether they find it ideologically sound. A Republican challenger might point to an incumbent's high ADA rating to show that he or she is too liberal to represent the district.