With the key word being influence in the question I would have to say interest groups are nefarious. The act of interest groups attempting to influence politicians is a good and sound basis in a democracy, however it is working more in the manner of whoever has the money gets the influence they desire. It also comes down to ones perspective, a scientist making $150,000 a year working for Monsanto is going to have a different perspective than I, as a grower of food without chemicals. The ACLU works for all groups, both those they may agree with or not, in support of what the Constitution says. The big difference is that the ACLU is a group that uses their money, much less than the Monsanto group, to lobby by pursausion rather than through campaign
