Interest Groups - Essay Example

Interest groups promote specific issues or positions, which enable them to take a non-partisan approach to politics. Political parties on the other hand, must have a generally unified view on politics even though all its members may not agree on details. Political parties field candidates that are drawn from their party for elective posts. Interest groups support any political party or candidate that favors or promotes their issue or position as far as legislature or governance is concerned. Interest groups serve as an important check and balance to political power as they serve as a representative of public opinion. Politicians are well aware of the popularity of interest groups and their ability to sway public opinion, which is very important to their election success.

The political process dominated by the political parties but kept in check by the presence of interest groups is more favorable than the reverse. This is because politicians are elected to govern with the mandate of the people in diverse areas, which makes them accountable to the public. Interest groups are not elected officials and it is very difficult to hold them to account for their actions since they represent opinion. Also, interest groups depend on lobbying, which includes a lot of lawsuits, which would conflict with legislative agendas of politics.

Interest groups serve the purpose of putting pressure on political parties in order to bring about change through amassing public support. If interest groups were to dominate the political process then they would most probably push only those interests that they find important producing a skewed type of governance. Politicians are best positioned to lead the governance process as they have more to lose and will naturally find balance through political pressures from both the interest groups and other rival political parties.