ABSTRACT

Overview Organized religious interest groups seek to influence public policy in Washington and at the state and local levels in much the same ways that other interest groups do. At the same time, there are some important unique features in the operations of religious interest groups. In this chapter, we will examine the methods, goals, and types of religious interest groups-primarily at the national political level. We will see that, in line with the religious pluralism in the United States, there is substantial diversity in the goals that religious interest groups seek and the means by which they seek those goals. The major questions to guide this examination are:

• With what kinds of issueshave religious interest groups been involved? • What strategies do interest groups use to pursue their goals and to

what extent do religious interest groups use these same strategies?