Question

Define interest groups and discuss the impact and methods of interest groups. How can a group use protests as a tool?

Your response should be at least 500 words in length.

Answer 1

Interest groups can be defined as organizations or groups of people who share a common shared interest. The members of this group work together as a single unit to support, protect as well as promote their common shared interest. This is usually done by influencing the government. Interest groups can vary and differ in terms of their size, their aims and their tactics as well that they use and deploy to promote and further their interest.

Usually interest groups can be divided into two broad categories – economic groups and non-economic groups. Economic groups are those interest groups that seek a form of economic advantage for their members. The objective of an economic group is to win private goods. By private goods I mean and refer to those benefits that are available and hence can only be enjoyed by members of that group. An economic group can further be classified into four categories or types - business groups, labor groups, agricultural groups, and professional associations. Non-economic groups are also referred to as citizens’ groups and these interest groups fight for a common cause. Unlike economic groups they do not work for any sort of material gain. As such non-economic groups seek out for public goods (also known as collective goods). Public goods or collective goods benefit each and every member of the society and unlike private goods are not available to just the members of the group.

Now a group can effectively use protests as a tool to further their cause and promote and protect their interests. Protests and demonstrations are effective tools that interest groups have. Protests are often used by interest groups to get media attention so that their cause and interest is publicized. Protests are used as a tool by interest groups to strengthen their grass root campaigns in a systematic manner. In fact public protest demonstrations are a part of indirect techniques that interest groups use to influence government officials. It is known as an indirect technique as protests entails use of third parties to influence government officials. It does not involve any form of direct interaction with government officials to further the goals, objectives and interests of the group.

Protests are a powerful tool on a collective basis because it enables masking the interest group’s own activities. Thus their efforts seem to be more spontaneous in nature and hence more acceptable. When this is done then what essentially happens is that government legislators tend to look upon more favorably upon their own constituents. It should be noted that legislators will not look so favorably and will most probably turn away from interest group’s lobbyists and hence protests can serve as a powerful tool that can ensure that the common and shared interests of the group is protected and promoted in a manner that is tangible and that is systematic. Use of protests gives rise to media lobbying and this allows interest groups to make use of media like television, newspaper, radio etc. (even internet in this digital age) to expand their outreach. Protests can be combined with boycotting and demonstrations to further bolster this tool.

(519 words)