2006 AP Gov. Free Response Question #1 Matt Koh

Free Response Question #1 While interest groups and political parties each play a significant role in the United States Political System, they differ in their fundamental goals. Identify the fundamental goal of interest groups in the political process. Identify the fundamental goal of major political parties in the political process. Describe the two different ways by which interest groups support their fundamental goal of political parties in the political process. For one of the forms of support you described in (c), explain two different ways in which that form of support helps interest groups to achieve their fundamental goal in the process.

Identify the fundamental goal of interest groups in the political process. First, one must define what an interest group is. An interest group is any organization that seeks to influence public policy. Since the interest groups are seeking ways to benefit their own cause, their fundamental goal would be to influence political processes in a way that aids their cause.

Identify the fundamental goal of major political parties in the political process. Once again, to fully answer this question one must define what a major political party is. A major political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Obviously by simply defining what a major political party is, one can find out it’s fundamental goal, which are to nominate candidates, get people to vote for candidate, and make a unified policy.

Describe the two different ways by which interest groups support their fundamental goal of political parties in the political process. This question only asks for two ways, when there are many various ways by which interest groups support their goal. The two ways that I found, and I believe to be the easiest to explain are that the two ways interest groups support their goals are to make the government aware of key issues and giving money to campaigns.

For one of the forms of support you described in (c), explain two different ways in which that form of support helps interest groups to achieve their fundamental goal in the process. I chose campaign funding as a form of support to discuss. The first way this form of support helps interest groups is that by choosing which campaign to fund, their interests would be benefited from the campaign. Another way this form of support helps interest groups is by gaining favor from campaigners, because when they win from the support of interest groups, they shall favor that particular group over anyone else.