Читать книгу The CQ Press Career Guide for Political Science Students - Wendy N. Whitman Cobb - Страница 18

Interest groups are those organizations which seek to influence public policy in ways other than getting candidates elected. Examples of these include the National Rifle Association (NRA), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), or the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). These organizations are only the beginning of the different types of organizations you can work for with a political science degree—interest groups, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), political action committees (PACs) and super PACs, charity foundations, and other nonprofit organizations can benefit from your knowledge.

For interest groups, in particular, you could go to work as a lobbyist working to influence government on that group’s issues. Lobbyists work to persuade government officials to support and pursue an interest group’s desired policy direction. They are involved in shaping public thought on major issues and proposing policy solutions and can be intricately involved in crafting legislation. In joining an interest group, you can also provide advice on the direction of their public campaigns and informing the public without necessarily becoming a lobbyist. There are thousands of interest groups out there, so chances are you can find a group that aligns with issues you’re interested in, from animal welfare to salt and sugar in processed foods to veterans’ issues.