Political Participation

An entity that directly formulates government policy.

An organization that connects citizens to the government.

A branch of the government responsible for oversight.

A group of individuals with shared economic interests.

The Supreme Court

The Federal Reserve

A political party

The Central Intelligence Agency

Political parties

Interest groups

The media

The Supreme Court

Interpreting laws

Nominating candidates

Enforcing regulations

Declaring wars

By always winning the majority of votes

By bringing new ideas to the table and sometimes affecting election outcomes

By forming a coalition with the two major parties

By being funded by the federal government

They have had no impact on political parties.

They have caused parties to evolve due to voter shifts.

They have led to the abolishment of political parties.

They have made political parties more rigid and unchanging.

To win elections and control the government

To influence government policy on specific issues

To nominate candidates for political office

To provide unbiased news coverage of political events

Interest groups nominate candidates, while political parties lobby government officials.

Interest groups focus on a broad range of issues, while political parties focus on a single issue.

Interest groups focus on a single issue or a few related issues, while political parties address a wide range of issues.

Interest groups seek to win elections, while political parties seek to influence those in power.

It argues against the formation of interest groups.

It supports the idea of a single, dominant interest group.

It acknowledges the potential dangers of factions (interest groups), which is why we have checks and balances.

It advocates for unlimited power for interest groups.

The media has no role in setting the public agenda.

The media sets the public agenda by deciding what to report on.

The media only reports on what the government tells them to.

The media's role is solely to entertain the public.