Interest Groups vs. Social Movements

Paper Summary:

The following paper examines the distinction between interest groups and social movements which are sometimes hard to distinguish. This paper argues that interest groups are usually more narrowly focused and depend on organized supporters of otherwise loosely mobilized citizens within a larger social movement.

From the Paper:

"Elections are formal procedures for choosing officers or making binding decisions concerning current and future policies. Elections are widely held in private organizations, such as corporations, church groups, or labor unions. Public institutions hold elections to select officers, to choose representatives, and to settle specific policy questions. Elections also may take place within specific governmental bodies or institutions as, in the United States, when members of a state legislature elect a speaker of the house. The discussion that follows, however, will focus on public elections for officers of governmental units or to decide public policy issues. Such elections commonly have a larger number of persons entitled to participate and are part of the total political process within the governmental system."

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