150 PART Two • The PolITIcs of AmeRIcAn DemocRAcy
to make governmental institutions more responsive to the needs of the public. Another
public-interest group is the League of Women Voters, founded in 1920. Although officially
nonpartisan, it has lobbied for the Equal Rights Amendment and for government reform.Additional Types of Interest Groups
A number of interest groups focus on just one issue. Single-interest groups, being nar-
rowly focused, may be able to call attention to their causes because they have simple and
straightforward goals and because their members tend to care intensely about the issues.
Thus, such groups can easily motivate their members to contact legislators or to organize
demonstrations in support of their policy goals.
The abortion debate has created groups opposed to abortion (such as the National
Right to Life Committee) and groups in favor of abortion rights (such as NARAL Pro-Choice
America). Further examples of single-issue groups are the National Rifle Association and
the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (a pro-Israel group).Ideological Groups. Among the most important interest groups are those that unite
citizens around a common ideological viewpoint. Americans for Democratic Action, for
example, was founded in 1947 to represent liberals who were explicitly anti-Communist.
On the political right, Americans for Tax Reform, organized by Grover Norquist, has been
successful in persuading almost all leading Republicans to sign a pledge promising never
to vote to raise taxes. The various organizations making up the Tea Party movement are
widely seen as ideological interest groups.Identity Groups. Still other groups represent Americans who share a common iden-
tity, such as membership in a particular race or ethnic group. The NAACP, founded in
1909 as the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People,
represents African Americans. The
National Organization for Women
(NOW) has championed women’s
rights since 1966.
Elderly Americans can be con-
sidered to have a common iden-
tity. AARP (formerly the American
Association of Retired Persons) is one
of the most powerful interest groups
in Washington, D.C., and, accord-
ing to some, the strongest lobby-
ing group in the United States. It is
certainly the nation’s largest interest
group, with a membership of about
40 million. AARP has accomplished
much for its members over the years.
It played a significant role in the cre-
ation of Medicare and Medicaid, as
well as in obtaining annual cost-of-
living increases in Social Security pay-
ments. (Medicare pays for medical
expenses incurred by those who areDuring the last presidential campaign, Barack Obama showed his
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