What are public interest groups, how do their beliefs and practices compare to those of other interest groups, and upon what bases are they organized?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Public interest groups focus on issues that produce noneconomic benefits, such as clean air, and that are not restricted solely to interest group members or denied to any members of the general public. Members of public interest groups typically find motivation in their belief that the entire world would benefit from the adoption of their views as opposed to the more ideologically limited issues embraced by other interest groups. For example, clean air, peace, and the protection of human rights are all things from which humanity in general can benefit as opposed the issues promoted by other interest groups such as the right to an abortion or to carry a concealed weapon. The major categories into which public interest groups are organized include environmental groups, which actively promote environmental policies, consumer groups, which focus primarily on consumer protectionism, religious groups that are often motivated by their fear of moral decay and societal decadence, Second Amendment groups, that focus on the right to bear arms, reproductive rights groups that focus on such things as abortion and stem cell research, and human and animal rights groups. An especially good response will also include specific examples of each type of group.