Interest Groups

The basic types of interest groups are economic groups (including business groups, labor groups, agricultural groups, and professional associations) and noneconomic groups (including public interest groups, single-issue groups, and ideological groups).

Lobbying refers to an interest group’s effort to persuade government officials through personal contact.

Free riders are people who benefit from the work of an interest group without actually contributing to the group’s efforts. Many people do not feel the need to help interest groups—particularly noneconomic interest groups—when they know that they will benefit from the group’s activities regardless of their input.