Final answer:
An interest group is a coalition of individuals or organizations that aims to influence government policies and decisions, often through lobbying. They represent a range of economic and noneconomic interests and may use various strategies to exert influence, including inside and outside lobbying.
Step-by-step explanation:
An interest group is an organized collection of individuals or organizations that work to influence government decision-making and public policy. These groups might be membership organizations that voluntary individuals join, often paying dues and organized around communal matters or concerns like the NRA or Brady: United Against Gun Violence. Interest groups can represent various sectors, including economic interests (e.g., business, labor, agricultural groups) and noneconomic interests (e.g., public interest groups, single-issue groups).
Interest groups participate in political processes by offering a diversity of views and demands before the government. They can foster social capital that helps solve collective challenges but may also lead to factionalism and potentially an economic bias in representation. The lobbying efforts of these groups may include inside lobbying—forming formal relationships with officials, or outside lobbying—mobilizing public support for policies or candidates.
The correct definition of an interest group based on the provided options would be a group of people who work to influence policy and support candidates regardless of party, which aligns with answer choice b on the review question provided.