The interest group is an organized group of citizens one of whose goals is to ensure that the state follows certain policies. All sorts of organize groups may function as interest groups. A modern state contains a vast amount of interest groups, so vast that it is hard to calculate their number with precision. Interest groups are not exclusively destined for democracies or open societies; all states have interest groups. There are many different types of interest groups, and many different tactics that they can use. They tend two vary in two important ways. Pluralism and neocorporatism are two aspects related to interest groups.
Interest groups are probably the most frequent tool states use in order to represent public opinion and bring it to bear in an orderly fashion on the governmental authorities. Each interest group is free to present its group's wishes clearly and precisely. The task of representing the people's desires, then falls on the interest group. Interest groups generally accomplish this task very well but in certain cases barriers exist that keep them from functioning as well as desired in this area. The first one is that not all interest groups are equally organized, also, some groups command a disproportionate voice in the interest-group system because they have special advantages. Finally, most interest groups are not organized democratically; their leaders are not closely responsive to the members' wishes. The internal structure of interest groups is not very democratic; therefore, there is a real danger that their leaders may gradually drift away from the ordinary members and follow their own political line. Interest groups, then, are not on the whole democratically organized, and their leaders may depart considerably from the members' views.
Three major types of interest groups are sectoral; those that represent a sector of the economy, institutional which are set up primarily for purposes other than political activity and would certainly exist even if they did not deal with politics, and promotional which organize around an idea or point of view to support a cause.
Just like there are different types of interest groups, there are different tactics of interest groups. Control of information and expertise, electoral activity, use of economic power, public information campaigns, violence and disruption, and litigation. A general principle for the interest groups is that they will pick a tactic that best fits the group's resources and the political opportunities offered by those resources.
Interest groups vary in at least two important ways; the degree of organization, and the degree of direct involvement of interest groups in government and administration. Pluralism is a system in which all interests organize and compete freely and no one group is able to dominate. The government is open to pressure from the interest groups, and politics consist largely of the competition among these interest groups to see that the policies they favor are adopted by the government. Neocorporatism is another abstraction. It is a system in which all interest groups are organized and government deals directly with all affected interests at all stages in the making and administration of policy. Unlike pluralism, under neocorporatism the government does not merely respond to the interest groups' pressure but actively involves the groups in the job of governing.
Interest groups are organizations conducting politics within the decision-making structure of the state, but with a goal of influencing one or more policy outcomes rather than achieving overall governmental power. These groups are often able to accomplish the task of representing the desires of their people, however they often come across barriers. There are three major types of interest groups; sectoral, institutional, and promotional. Similarly there are different tactics that interest groups can use. They often chose one based on their resources available. Interest group systems vary in at least two important ways. With pluralism the government is open to pressure from the interest groups. With neocorporatism all interests are organized.
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