Political parties and interest groups have similar as well as different roles. Political parties are nominating candidates, raising money, are running campaigns and are offering the support services for candidates of parties, they are promoting a set of values and opinions on various different issues. Parties organize the government, conventions and party functions. They have an effect on elections with recruiting candidates, nominating and supporting them, along with educating the electorate. Their role is the contribution to the legitimacy of the political system and providing a link between the citizens, different groups and the political systems. On the other hand, we have interest groups, which role is to shape policy and influence government based on the shared narrower views. They are lobbying, raising awareness on certain issues with educating the public and its members, provide funding for the campaigns, and influencing the public policy. They provide information to government and are a channel between the government and citizens which enables the political participation. The interest groups are influencing elections, lobbying, use litigation and are appealing to the public for support. On the other hand, they use the same methods to accomplish goals with fund and awareness raising, but have different scopes of interest and beliefs.
The political parties and interest groups interact since they are both trying to educate the voters with their information. The interest groups provide the resources to the political parties and support the candidates. They interact since they use the same methods to influence and to accomplish their goals such as raising money, raising awareness, lobbying and they are using each other in order to fulfil their goals. The interest groups need parties to get a direct link to the formation of policies. The political parties are trying to discipline interest groups and vice versa. They are having similar functions, but differ in the scope of their functioning and interests. There is a mutual dependence of both.
They are important since they represent a diversity of perspectives and are an important part of the political system. They are useful because they link the citizens and the government and are the link through which the public policies are shaped. Further on, they are acting as a check and balances in the political system. On the other hand, there are both powerful because of the freedom of speech, assembly, petition and press and also through financial contributions. They can become too powerful when they have substantial resources and large memberships. Interest groups can exercise their power in order to achieve the minority priorities. On the other hand, the power of the political parties can be seen through the number of seats in the House of Representatives and Senate. In the United States and in the two party system both aspects are being represented.
The liberties in the United States are being sufficently protected despite various different violations. The preserving of privacy in the information society and the contemporary security situation has revealed different disadvantages, but the education about the civil liberties exists in the country as well as mechanisms and organizations which help to promote them as well as deal in cases when those rights have been violated. Based on the Human Right Watch Report (n. p.) United States have a strong constitutional protection of basic rights, but practices of violations are seen in the areas of immigration, criminal justice and national security. The abuses are seen among the most vulnerable citizens such as racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants, poor, prisoners and children.
The constitution protects civil rights, which can be found in the Bill of Rights with the privilege of immunities, due process and the equal protection clause. The constitution protects different civil liberties such as freedom of speech and the press, freedom of religion, right to privacy, right to gather, the right to bear arms, and the rights of the accused. Protecting civil rights is an ongoing process in the democracy and with respect the civil rights pointed out in the United States Constitution the civil rights would be sufficiently protected.
Work cited
Human Rights Watch. World Report 2015: United States. 2015. Accessed on 22 Jan 2017
https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2015/country-chapters/united-states
