Interest groups that may be also called pressure groups, advocacy groups, or special interest groups are the formally organized associations of organizations or individuals that attempt to influence public policy and the country’s political system in their favor on the basis of shared concerns. In other words, all interest groups have a goal to derive benefits from affecting government policy through lobbying and pressure on policymakers. The major strength of interest groups is their proper organization, inner cohesion, and expansion. To be precise, interest groups may be found at local, provincial, state, and national levels of government. That is why they currently occupy a considerably important role in both domestic and international affairs. At the same time, groupthink may be regarded as the weakness of interest groups. This psychological phenomenon implies the desire of group members to reach a common decision, however, alternative viewpoints and ideas are not critically evaluated.
In general, the country’s political regime and socioeconomic development determine the level of representation of society’s interests in its political system. In democratic and economically prosperous societies, the number of special interest groups is traditionally extensive. In the United States, interest groups are free to operate on the basis of the acceptance of their activities by politicians and the general public. As the country’s political system does not support more than two main parties, interest groups may be regarded as minor parties that unite people who want to express and protect their interests at the governmental level. They frequently help policymakers to understand social tendencies and assess people’s needs. At the same time, interest groups frequently serve as sources of financial support of candidates during election campaigns, provide choice for voters, and contribute to political strife.