Advocacy Groups in American Politics- *PLACEHOLDER - TEXT FROM EARLIER SITE*
Why should any of us be interested in advocacy groups? Simply because political advocacy groups -- also known as pressure groups, interest groups or lobbyists -- play a significant role in the political system of the United States.
Such groups can shape elections by verbally endorsing candidates or contributing financially to campaigns with Political Action Committee (PAC) money. Once candidates are elected to office, members of these organizations commonly contact them to encourage support or opposition to legislation. Furthermore, a handful of prominent groups regularly rate the performance of politicians. Understanding the actions and endorsements by advocacy groups helps you to understand the performance and political ideology of your own representative.
Not only do these political advocacy groups play a role with the actions of politicians, they are also highly visible in the news media. Members of think tanks write editorials published by regional newspapers. Reporters contact representatives from interest groups to solicit quotes about news topics. To research the ideology of an editorialist or understand why a group was consulted, refer to their homepage through the alphabetic list found here. To find a source for a story or a perspective on an issue, browse the subject arrangement to choose an appropriate group.
Whether you want to understand the actions of an organization or a politician, find a journalistic source, lend your support to a cause, or find an internship or job, this project will provide a starting point to acquaint you with the variety of advocacy groups in the United States.