Interest Groups

Interest Groups Help More Than Hurt Voter turnout has declined since 1960 but participation in interest groups has been growing. Participating in interest groups allows people to take action on issues that are most important to them. Unlike some linkage institutions, interest groups have a very close connection to government. Interest groups are an essential part of the democratic system because they allow the public to enter the political system, bring up specific issues in government, …

…very effective and beneficial part of the legislative process. Interest groups have grown to be a necessary part of the democratic system. Groups get the public involved, bring attention to important issues, and help congress. All of these advantages to interest groups are intertwined to benefit the government. Some people, such as James Madison, argue that too many factions can hurt democracy, but interest groups have proved that they are beneficial to the American democracy.