Question 2
Political parties and interest groups have great impact on the US government. Interest groups and political parties have many similarities and are both important to the government. Both groups contain people who work towards the achievement of certain governmental goals. They gather money to enable the accomplishment of these goals (Clark 1). They also promote the politicians so as to enable them achieve their goals. However, interest groups and political parties have differences when it comes to the purposes they serve within the government.
Political parties are more concerned about winning elections and gaining power when it comes to government policies. The political parties achieve this by selecting political candidates to support. They offer support through fundraising and advertising so as to enable the political candidates to win elections (Clark 1). The political parties voice their opinions concerning different issues in the country, but these opinions can change with time.
Interest groups are more concerned about promoting specific issues in the country. Examples of such issues are agriculture, and gun control. The members of the interest groups do not have to campaign for a political position. The interest groups are nonpartisan and they support the politicians who promote their viewpoints (Maximino, 1).
The interest groups have a strong impact on the government because they can influence the government to adapt a certain policy (Maximino 1). It is possible to do so because the interest group has a lot of influence on the politician who wins the elections through its help. Interest groups can also arise from within the political parties. Therefore, an interest group can put a lot of pressure on other people within the political parties so that they can support the viewpoint of the interest group (Clark 1). On the other hand, it is difficult for a political party to influence the politicians to adapt a specific policy because the politicians within one political party can have varying views concerning the policy.
Works Cited
Clark, Agatha. Difference Between Political Party and Interest Group. 2016. Web. 31 Mar. 2016. http://classroom.synonym.com/difference-between-political-party-interest-group-6142.html
Maximino, Martin. The Influence of Elites, Interest Groups and Average Voters on American Politics. 14 Nov. 2014. Web. 31 Mar. 2016. http://journalistsresource.org/studies/politics/finance-lobbying/the-influence-of-elites-interest-groups-and-average-voters-on-american-politics
