Question

Compare and contrast interest groups and political parties. Provide examples in your discussion of their similarities and differences. What advantages do interest groups offer that political parties don’t? What advantages do political parties offer that interest groups don’t?

Answer 1

Both, interest groups and political parties act as intermediaries between the public and the officeholders, and, for many voters, are the basis on which the decision of who to vote for is made. However, electing public officials is what unites political parties and what distinguishes them from other groups. The two main political parties in the United States—the Democrats and the Republicans—work differently, but both strive to achieve the same electoral end. On the other hand, interest group, or a collection of people with the shared goal of influencing public policy, are different from political parties in that they do not run their own candidates for office, and they typically seek more specific policy goals than parties.