Final answer:
An interest group is an organization of individuals who share a common interest and seek to influence public policy through political action, distinguishing them from political parties, which aim to control the government by electing candidates.
Step-by-step explanation:
A group of people with shared ideals and common goals that attempts to forward those goals by influencing policymakers is known as an interest group. These are organizations of individuals united by a common interest or concern who seek to obtain their objectives through political action, without necessarily running for elected office themselves. They operate through lobbying to affect legislation and policy outcomes. While they may support political parties that align with their policy goals, their main aim is to influence public policy directly.
It is important to distinguish interest groups from political parties. Political parties aim to gain political power primarily by running candidates for office and seeking to control the government from within. On the other hand, lobbying organizations may include professionals hired by interest groups to advocate on their behalf to lawmakers.