Interest Groups

Liberals and conservatives have extreme interest groups, and interest topics. Right now, we're talking about the environment.

Greenpeace USA is a Liberal organization that promotes the idea of having clean waters and to recycle to help our environment. (https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/)

This picture is the front of this groups' page. It depicts a scuba diver holding up an empty Coca-Cola bottle in the water. This is a big indicator for what this group is about, which is keeping the earth free from garbage and environmental damages.

With a liberal look at this article/group, we see them take a more empathetic look at environmental damages. They "care more about the world."


Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) is a Conservative organization that tries to warn the public of the costs, both literally and metaphorically, of Global Warming. (http://www.thegwpf.org/)

"The Global Warming Policy Foundation is unique. We are an all-party and non-party think tank and a registered educational charity which, while open-minded on the contested science of global warming, is deeply concerned about the costs and other implications of many of the policies currently being advocated.

We are in no sense ‘anti-environmental’. There is a wide range of important environmental issues, which call for an equally wide range of policy responses. Our concern is solely with the possible effects of any future global warming and the policy responses that may evoke". - (GWPF official website)

These quotes are picked directly off the site for GWPF, and it simply says what their purpose is. 

With a conservative look at this article/group, we see them being concerned about the economical damages that Global Warming could and will cause. Their organization is mainly focused on locating and preventing the effects of Global Warming. 

A comparison between the two would be easy, you would think. But they are actually quite similar. 

1. Both groups talk about the environment

2. Both groups ask for funding to get their program running

3. Both groups care about the future of the Earth

4. Both groups have people working on solutions to environmental problems all the time

5. Both groups have facts backing up their claims. 

But that's not all of it, no. There are some differences as well.

1. GreenpeaceUSA uses many enticing visuals and vibrant colors to attract the attention of viewers.

2. GWPF uses academic language that is mostly legal jargon and scientific jargon.

3. GreenpeaceUSA has pictures of their members keeping true to their word and cleaning up around beaches and parks.

4. GWPF has quotes from scientists relating to their argument.

5. GWPF also has links to videos of lectures given about this topic.

Q: How might interest groups influence an individuals political beliefs?

A: Interest groups are called that because people are interested in the topic at hand. If it's something political, they may still be interested in how the scenario turns out, positively or negatively. It's purely opinion based, depending on whether or not you're buying into the ideals.