Final answer:
Non-economic groups focus on issues like the environment, education, civil rights, or ideologies for the benefit of society or minorities, contrasting with economic groups that seek economic gains for their members.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to the text, non-economic groups are characterized by their focus on advancing noeconomic issues such as the environment, education, civil rights, or specific ideologies, rather than organizing themselves around economic benefits. These groups include public interest groups like The Trust for Public Land, which creates parks and preserves outdoor spaces, single-issue groups such as the Japan Rice Millers Association, civil rights groups like the NAACP and the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, and ideological groups like the Democratic Socialists of America. These groups work for the benefit of society as a whole or for the rights of specific minority groups, and not for the economic gain of their membership.