During a political election, it is hard to avoid the amount of propaganda being shown trying to influence your voting decision. These ads, commercials, and posters can come directly from the candidates themselves. What some people don't know is that propaganda also comes from special interest groups. Special interest groups (SGIs) are groups of people who share common objectives looking to change policies and such regarding their shared concerns. It is very important to know how special interests influence political process. SGIs inform and educate the public on their government, while holding much power, relating to their numbers and money amongst other things. Alongside this, they provide information to government officials in an attempt to influence policy.
Donating time and money to propaganda is an effective way to influence policy, but there are others as well. These include lobbying, litigation, grassroots mobilization, and research. Lobbying is the act of trying to influence officials by providing testimony, information, lawsuits, etc. Most organizations have lobbyists who go to government and try to sway them in the direction of their cause. They use their good people skills and expertise to convince legislators to make new policies for the special interest they are representing. They work with think tanks to make sure their information is solid and persuasive, and present the works of the scholars the lobbyist is partners with. Another form is litigation, which is bringing lawsuits. An effective use of this was the McNosky v. Perry case, which was two gay men fighting for the right to marry. Along with other lawsuits, there will be an oral argument with the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. Grassroots mobilization, as I have mentioned before, is strong and vocal support with a large number of people.
The amount of power that special interests have is a lot to think about. In the past years, they have succeeded in influencing people's decisions and beliefs, potentially changing their vote, which could change the direction of the whole election.
