13.1: Interest Groups and Lobbying - Readings and Media
- Page ID
- 231699
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Lumen Learning. (n.d.). Interest groups as political participation. American Government.
This chapter creates awareness of your essential role in American democracy through interest group participation. Joining lobby groups enables us to participate in political activities that extend beyond voting. Through lobbying, education, and advocacy, interest groups allow our participation in civic life. We can make our voices heard on important matters, so that we can help shape public policy. This reading traces how interest groups form from grassroots movements and powerful sponsorships, and how they use strategic issue framing to shape public opinion. You learn about how organized groups affect government choices, and why certain voices receive more attention than others.
2. Class, Race and Corporate Power
Pedroso, Joaquin A. (2016) "Black Lives Matter or, How to Think Like an Anarchist," Class, Race and Corporate Power: Vol. 4: Iss. 2, Article 4. DOI: 10.25148/CRCP.4.2.001668 Available at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/class...er/vol4/iss2/4 Retrieved July 8, 2025, from
Learn from this article how interest group organizing goes beyond lobbying elites. Decentralized grassroots resistance has emerged as a newer strategy for working toward structural change. Black Lives Matter and similar movements adopt anarchist principles through horizontal organization, direct action, and community-based solutions, instead of hierarchical leadership and institutional lobbying.
Note that interest groups can also function outside of established structures by using collective action and mutual support to establish alternative systems of care and accountability. The model presented in this article demonstrates how interest group influence can occur through movement-building and radical democratic participation rather than traditional channels like campaign contributions or policy advocacy. How do you feel about this newer model for organizing?