Interest Groups In American Politics

Interest groups play an increasingly important role in American politics and have become intertwined with the function of political parties.
Richard Skinner, the author of More Than Money, outlines how the influence or “expertise” of interest groups have made them integral parts of the party matrix. The interest group’s ability to ignite and connect with voters because of their credible reputations has caused parties to align themselves with these groups to win elections.
Interest groups are fused to the party system as they are beneficial in winning elections.
An interest group's ability to connect with voters helps to build its issue credibility. This “most important form of expertise [...] comes from years of activity, from public visibility, from ties to other organizations, and from spending money.” (Skinner 460) Interest groups have created complex systems of narrowcasting to target only those who they think will be sympathetic to their issue to save money and avoid activating the opposition. These precise strategies help to build a powerful and reputable organization that are valuable for parties, proving the thesis. …show more content…
Because of this adoption of issues, parties become aligned with interest groups, and interest groups to parties. The lobbying system used to be seen as something that would divide the people, but as mainstream politics becomes more issue based, interest groups know they can no longer be moderate and side with certain parties. “As part of this party network, groups can perform valuable tasks that are beyond the capacities of the party” (Skinner 465) creating a symbiotic relationship, and proving the