Describe the role of special interest groups within the functionalist perspective on power and political systems

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Special interest groups are political coalitions made up of individuals or groups that

share a specific interest they wish to protect or advance with the help of the political

system. Special interest groups help people advocate their own interests and further

their causes. Broad categories of special interest groups include banking, business,

education, energy, the environment, health, labor, persons with a disability, retired

persons, and women. Special interest groups are also referred to as pressure groups

(because they put pressure on political leaders) or lobbies. Over the past four decades,

special interest groups have become more involved in "single-issue politics," in which

political candidates are often supported or rejected solely on the basis of their views on

a specific issue—such as abortion, gun control, gay and lesbian rights, or the

environment. Reforms in campaign finance laws in the 1970s set limits on direct

contributions to political candidates and led to the creation of political action committees

(PACs)—organizations of special interest groups that solicit contributions from donors

and fund campaigns to help elect (or defeat) candidates based on their stances on

specific issues. Some PACs represent the "public interest" and ideological interest

groups such as gay rights or the National Rifle Association (NRA). Other PACs

represent the capitalistic interests of large corporations.