Interest groups and political parties are very similar. However, they are not the same. Some characteristics of interest groups include a narrow range of issues covered, not running candidates for office, and never changing position on an issue. These key characteristics distinguish interest groups from political parties. To begin, interest groups are a formally organized group of individuals that share common interests, or goals. These groups exist to influence policy making by supporting policies that reflect their own interests or preventing policies that do not favor their interests from being implemented. In order to successfully accomplish their goal, interest groups will often use strategies or techniques such as lobbying, either direct
