Question

What distinguishes political parties from interest groups?

A. Political parties run candidates for office; interest groups do not.
B. Political parties lobby all branches of government, while interest groups are limited to congressional lobbying.
C. Political parties are restricted in how they receive and use their funding; interest groups have no such limits.
D. Political parties are formed by elected officials, while interest groups are formed by citizens.

Answer 1

Political parties seek to control the government by electing members to office and shaping policy through governance, while interest groups influence policymakers on specific issues without running candidates.

Step-by-step explanation:

What distinguishes political parties from interest groups is primarily their objective in the political process. Political parties are groups that share a common political ideology with the goal of electing their members to governmental positions. They accomplish this by identifying issues important to voters, presenting them in platforms, and nominating candidates. In contrast, interest groups do not aspire to elect members to office but rather seek to influence policy makers on specific issues or areas, such as environmental policy or tax legislation.

While political parties aim to control the government by winning elections and governing, interest groups aim to influence those who govern by advocating for specific policy goals. Both interest groups and political parties have the potential to support or oppose political candidates, but interest groups are usually more narrowly focused, and they may work across party lines to achieve their objectives.