Special-interest groups are organized groups of people who share a common perspective or policy goal that they collectively promote through the political process. The best-known examples are powerful organizations like the National Rifle Association (NRA) or the Sierra Club. But interest groups representing just about every conceivable point of view can be found across the American political landscape. All interest groups engage in lobbying - trying to shape public policy in a way that favors that particular group's agenda or goals. This book examines how special interest groups and the professional lobbyists that represent them can exert a great deal of influence over the government.