... resort to mass action such as demonstrations and protests. Firstly, interest groups can target different branches of government. They can target the US Congress that has been open to external influence through the interest groups due to the weakness of party loyalties within the US political system. Interest groups may support a candidate in the elections to Congress. For e.g. in 1996, trade unions that have been Democratic supporters in the past backed 27 Republican GOP House candidates in order to reward them for their sympathy towards organised labour. Sometimes interest groups can publicise a candidate's record in a way that will either assist or damage that candidate's electoral prospects, for example, by using issue advertisements. Some groups also publish ratings of Congressional candidates to highlight his views over an important issue such as abortion. They can also target the executive branch and the judicial branch. Several US presidents have been ...

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