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NEWS COMMENTATOR: This special interest group...

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COMMENTATOR 2: All these interest groups...

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COMMENTATOR 3: Interest group money...

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COMMENTATOR 4: It has largely been driven by special interest groups.

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NARRATOR: What exactly is an interest group, and why do they get people all riled up?

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To figure this out, let's play "Which of these is an interest group?"

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Dog owners, kindergarteners, car dealers,

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or NBA players. The answer?

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They all could be interest groups.

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People who care about the same things come together to form an interest group.

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In order to advance their goals,

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interest groups can seek to influence the government for funding or favorable laws.

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For example, kindergartners want more recess,

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car dealers want to close the deal, and NBA players,

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they just want to jam.

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There are a lot of ways that interest groups try to influence the government.

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Some hire lobbyists to make their case for them.

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Some take to the streets to hold rallies or start petitions.

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Some groups let money do the talking and donate to politicians.

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Some take to the airwaves and social media to get noticed.

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But why are interest groups controversial?

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Interest groups work to promote the interests of their members,

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and this can mean working against the interests of others.

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The difference between "interest group" and "special interest" is a matter of perspective.

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For instance, who could be against a playground?

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How about a retiree who doesn't have kids or grandkids?

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He doesn't want to pay more taxes for a playground he'll never use.

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We all want the government to be on our side,

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but sometimes it's hard to accommodate the interests of every group.