List of Interest Groups in the United States (2026)

The United States has more organised interests than any other democracy, and they shape almost everything Congress does. This page lists them by issue area, explains the categories political scientists actually use, and sets out how lobbying and campaign spending are regulated. Every organisation below was checked as currently operating; groups that have closed or merged have been removed, and those that changed names are listed under their current one.

Quick answer: An interest group is any organised body that tries to influence public policy without seeking office itself. Political scientists usually sort them into six types: economic (business, labour, professional and agricultural), public interest, ideological, single-issue, governmental and foreign policy groups. They influence Congress through lobbying, campaign contributions via PACs, litigation, research, and mobilising their members. The modern rules come from the Federal Election Campaign Act (1971), the Lobbying Disclosure Act (1995) and the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (2002) — and were reshaped in 2010 by Citizens United v. FEC and SpeechNow.org v. FEC, which together created the Super PAC.

What counts as an interest group

An interest group is an organisation that seeks to influence policy but does not run candidates under its own banner — which is what separates it from a political party. A party wants to hold office; an interest group wants to change what officeholders do.

The standard typology:

Economic interest groups represent a material stake. Business associations (US Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers), labour unions (AFL-CIO, Teamsters), professional associations (American Medical Association, American Bar Association) and agricultural groups (American Farm Bureau Federation) all sit here.
Public interest groups pursue goals that benefit people beyond their own membership — Common Cause, League of Women Voters, Public Citizen.
Ideological groups organise around a general political outlook rather than a single policy: Americans for Prosperity, Heritage Action, Americans for Democratic Action.
Single-issue groups concentrate on one question and are often the most intense participants: the National Rifle Association, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, NumbersUSA.
Governmental interest groups are states, cities and counties lobbying the federal government — the National Association of Counties, for instance.
Foreign policy groups advocate on international questions or on behalf of a diaspora: AIPAC, J Street, the Arab American Institute.

Many groups belong in more than one category, which is why several organisations below appear under multiple headings.

How they actually influence Congress

Lobbying is direct advocacy to legislators and their staff, and it is regulated and disclosed. Campaign contributions flow through political action committees, which are legally separate from the parent organisation. Litigation is the tool of choice for groups that lose in the legislature — the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the ACLU built much of their influence in court. Research and testimony shape the terms of debate before a bill is drafted. And grassroots mobilisation — getting members to call, write and turn out — is often the most effective of the five, which is why the largest membership organisations carry weight out of proportion to their spending.

How lobbying became regulated: a timeline

Interest groups are protected by the First Amendment's guarantee of the right "to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Regulation has therefore focused on disclosure and on money, not on the activity itself.

Year	Development
1883	Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act — creates a merit-based civil service, curbing the patronage system that had made government jobs a currency of political influence
1907	Tillman Act — bans direct corporate contributions to federal candidates
1939	Hatch Act — restricts partisan political activity by federal employees. Substantially loosened by the Hatch Act Reform Amendments of 1993 and further amended in 2012
1946	Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act — the first federal lobbying registration requirement, later found to be weakly enforced
1971	Federal Election Campaign Act — creates the modern disclosure regime and the legal framework for PACs
1976	Buckley v. Valeo — the Supreme Court upholds contribution limits but strikes down limits on independent expenditures
1995	Lobbying Disclosure Act — replaces the 1946 law with real registration and quarterly reporting requirements
2002	Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain–Feingold) — bans soft money to national parties and restricts issue advertising near elections
2007	Honest Leadership and Open Government Act — tightens disclosure and imposes cooling-off periods on former members who become lobbyists
2010	Citizens United v. FEC — corporations and unions may spend unlimited sums on independent political advocacy
2010	SpeechNow.org v. FEC — the D.C. Circuit permits unlimited contributions to committees making only independent expenditures, creating the Super PAC

Three corrections worth noting, because they circulate widely online: the Federalist Society was founded in 1982 by law students and has no connection to Alexander Hamilton's Federalist Party. The National Association of Manufacturers was founded in 1895 in Cincinnati, not in the 1940s. And the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 was triggered by a 10 per cent wage cut, not a demand for a raise.

The list, by issue area

Verified 7 August 2026. Organisations that have dissolved or merged have been removed; those that changed names appear under their current name. Publications and news outlets have been excluded — they are not interest groups.

Abortion & reproductive rights

Campaign for Working Families
Democrats for Life of America
EMILY's List
National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association
National Organization for Women
National Right to Life Committee
Planned Parenthood Action Fund
Population Action International
Population Connection
The Population Institute
Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America)
Republican National Coalition for Life PAC
SBA Pro-Life America (formerly Susan B. Anthony List)
Women's Campaign Fund

Agriculture & food processing

American Coalition for Ethanol
American Farm Bureau Federation
Associated Equipment Distributors
Food Policy Action
International Foodservice Distributors Association
National Association of Wheat Growers
National Council of Agricultural Employers
National Farmers Organization
National Farmers Union
United Farm Workers of America
United Food & Commercial Workers
United Fresh Produce Association
Vote Hemp

Animals & wildlife

American Humane (formerly American Humane Association)
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
American Veterinary Medical Association
Animal Welfare Institute
Big Cat Rescue
Born Free USA
Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund
Humane USA PAC
National Animal Interest Alliance Trust
Ocean Champions
Sierra Club
The Humane Society Legislative Fund
The Humane Society of the United States
Western Organization of Resource Councils

Arts, entertainment & history

American Library Association
Americans for the Arts Action Fund
California Park & Recreation Society
National Trust for Historic Preservation

Business & consumers

American Council of Engineering Companies
American Forest and Paper Association
Associated Builders & Contractors
Associated General Contractors of America
Business-Industry Political Action Committee
CompTIA
Consumer Action
Consumer Federation of America
Independent Electrical Contractors
International Sleep Products Association
International Warehouse Logistics Association
Maryland Business for Responsive Government
Metals Service Center Institute
National Association for the Self-Employed
National Association of Government Contractors
National Association of Manufacturers
National Electrical Contractors Association
National Federation of Independent Business
National Ready Mixed Concrete Association
National Restaurant Association
National Retail Federation
National Small Business Association
National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association
Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association
Public Citizen's Congress Watch
Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association
United States Business and Industry Council
United States Chamber of Commerce
United States Public Interest Research Group

Campaign finance & elections

Common Cause
MoveOn.org Political Action
Move to Amend
National Women's Political Caucus
Public Citizen's Congress Watch
Term Limits America Political Action Committee

Civil liberties & civil rights

American Civil Liberties Union
Asian American Action Fund
Center for International Policy
Common Cause
EarthRights International
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Global Exchange
Hispanic Federation
Human Rights Campaign
Iranian American Political Action Committee
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA)
Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
League of Women Voters
Mi Familia Vota
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
National LGBTQ Task Force (formerly National Gay & Lesbian Task Force)
National Organization for Women
National Religious Campaign Against Torture Action Fund
People for the American Way
PFLAG
Race Forward
The Arc
UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza)
Voto Latino

Conservative

60 Plus Association
American Conservative Union
Americans for Prosperity
Campaign for Working Families
Christian Action Network
Citizens United Political Victory Fund
Concerned Women for America
ConservAmerica
Eagle Forum
Faith and Freedom Coalition
GOPAC
Heritage Action for America
House Conservatives Fund (Republican Study Committee)
Republican Majority Campaign PAC
The John Birch Society
The Tea Party Leadership Fund

Crime & criminal justice

Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants
National Association of Police Organizations
National Criminal Justice Association

Defense & arms control

Center for Security Policy
Council for a Livable World
National Defense PAC
One Nation PAC
Peace Action West
PeacePAC
Senate Conservatives Fund
Voices for Creative Nonviolence
Women's Action for New Directions

Drugs & drug policy

Drug Policy Alliance
NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws

Economy & fiscal policy

Concord Coalition
Emergency Committee for American Trade
Partnership for America
United States Women's Chamber of Commerce

Education

American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
American Association of University Professors
American Association of University Women
American Federation of Teachers
American Library Association
ASCD (formerly Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development)
Home School Legal Defense Association
National Association for College Admission Counseling
National Association of Elementary School Principals
National Education Association
National Parent Teacher Association
National School Boards Association
School Nutrition Association
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association
The Center for Education Reform
The Network for Public Education
United States Student Association

Employment & workplace

American Benefits Council
Center for Worker Freedom
Federally Employed Women
National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association
National Association for the Self-Employed
National Employment Lawyers Association
Women Employed
Workplace Fairness

Energy, oil & natural resources

American Clean Power Association (formerly American Wind Energy Association)
American Coalition for Ethanol
ConservAmerica
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Action Fund
The National Mining Association
United Mine Workers of America

Entitlements & the safety net

60 Plus Association
AARP
Alliance for Retired Americans
American Benefits Council
National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
The Retired Enlisted Association

These organisations lobby on the programmes many households actually rely on. If you want to know where you stand rather than what they are arguing for, use the SNAP eligibility estimator, the Medicaid work-requirement checker, or the SSDI substantial gainful activity calculator.

Environment

American Forest and Paper Association
American Lands Alliance
American Society of Landscape Architects
Californians for Population Stabilization
Center for International Policy
Citizens for Global Solutions
Clean Water Action
ConservAmerica
Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund
EarthRights International
Environment America
Food Policy Action
Global Exchange
League of Conservation Voters
National Parks Conservation Association
Ocean Champions
Sierra Club
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Action Fund
Western Organization of Resource Councils
Women's Action for New Directions

Federal, state & local relations

National Association of Counties

Finance & banking

American Shareholders Association
Financial Executives International
League of Southeastern Credit Unions
National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors

Fiscally conservative

Americans for Prosperity
Blue Dog Coalition
Competitive Enterprise Institute
Heritage Action for America
Maggie's List PAC
National Tax Limitation Committee
National Taxpayers Union
Republican Liberty Caucus
Senate Conservatives Fund
The Cato Institute
The Club for Growth
The Libertarian Party

Fiscally liberal

Freedom Democrats
People for the American Way
Progressive Change Campaign Committee
Progressive Democrats of America

Foreign affairs & foreign aid

ACT! for America
American Foreign Service Association
American Israel Education Foundation
American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)
Arab American Institute
Armenian National Committee of America
Bread for the World
Center for International Policy
Christians United for Israel
Church World Service
Citizens for Global Solutions
Council for a Livable World
Council on American-Islamic Relations
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Global Exchange
J Street
J Street PAC
Latin America Working Group
National Foreign Trade Council
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
Peace Action
Peace Action West
PeacePAC
Population Action International
USA Engage
Voices for Creative Nonviolence

Government spending & operations

Citizens Against Government Waste
Common Cause
FreedomWorks
Jewish Women International
Move to Amend
National Defense PAC
National Taxpayers Union
New Democrat Coalition
Republican Main Street Partnership
Right Now Women PAC
Taxpayers for Common Sense
The Club for Growth
Women Under Forty Political Action Committee

Guns

Brady (formerly the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence)
Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
Everytown for Gun Safety
Giffords
Gun Owners of America
National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action

Health & health care

AARP
Academy of General Dentistry
ADAP Advocacy
AIDS United
Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy
Alzheimer's Impact Movement
American Academy of Emergency Medicine
American Academy of Family Physicians
American College of Emergency Physicians
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
American College of Surgeons
American Hospital Association
American Medical Association
American Nurses Association
American Public Health Association
American Society for Radiation Oncology
American Society of Anesthesiologists
American Veterinary Medical Association
Association of University Centers on Disabilities
Citizens for Health
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
Families USA
NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals
National Association of Social Workers
National Breast Cancer Coalition
National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association
National Nurses United
National Rural Health Association
Planned Parenthood Action Fund
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
The American College of Physicians
The American Counseling Association
The American Geriatrics Society
The Children's Health Fund
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Housing & property

American Land Rights Association
LeadingAge
National Association of Realtors
National Housing Institute
National Low Income Housing Coalition

Immigration

American Immigration Lawyers Association
Americans for Legal Immigration
America's Voice
Arab American Institute
Armenian National Committee of America
Californians for Population Stabilization
English First
Federation for American Immigration Reform
Hispanic Federation
Iranian American Political Action Committee
National Council of Agricultural Employers
National Hispanic Leadership Agenda
National Iranian American Council
NumbersUSA
ProEnglish
The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association
The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans
U.S. English
UnidosUS
Voto Latino

Infrastructure & transport

American Postal Workers Union
American Road and Transportation Builders Association
International Association of Fire Fighters
International Brotherhood of Boilermakers

Labour unions

American Federation of Government Employees
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
American Federation of Teachers
American Postal Workers Union
Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers
Communications Workers of America
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
International Brotherhood of Boilermakers
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
National Farmers Union
National Federation of Federal Employees
National Nurses United
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Transportation Communications Union
United Auto Workers
United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers
United Farm Workers of America
United Food & Commercial Workers
United Mine Workers of America
United Steelworkers
Utility Workers Union of America

Legal

American Bar Association
American Immigration Lawyers Association
Home School Legal Defense Association
National Criminal Justice Association
National Employment Lawyers Association

Legislative reform

National Committee for an Effective Congress
Term Limits America Political Action Committee

Liberal

Americans for Democratic Action
Campaign for America's Future
Democracy for America
Freedom Democrats
National Committee for an Effective Congress
Progressive Action PAC (Congressional Progressive Caucus)

Marriage, family & children

American Academy of Family Physicians
American Family Association
American Family Voices
American Humane
Campaign for Working Families
Children's Defense Fund
Christian Coalition of America
Eagle Forum
Family Research Council
FRC Action
Home School Legal Defense Association
Human Rights Campaign
LPAC
Log Cabin Republicans
National LGBTQ Task Force
National Network for Youth
National Organization for Marriage
National Parent Teacher Association
PFLAG
Population Action International
Population Connection
The Children's Health Fund
Victory Fund

Military personnel & veterans

AMVETS
Combat Veterans for Congress
Disabled American Veterans
Fleet Reserve Association
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Military Officers Association of America
National Defense PAC
Non Commissioned Officers Association
The American Legion
The Retired Enlisted Association
Veterans and Military Families for Progress
Vietnam Veterans of America

National security

ACT! for America
American Security Council Foundation
Center for Security Policy
Council for a Livable World
National Association of Police Organizations
National Iranian American Council
Peace Action West
PeacePAC

Religion & religious liberty

ACT! for America
American Family Association
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Bread for the World
Catholic Advocate
Christian Action Network
Christians United for Israel
Christian Coalition of America
Church World Service
Concerned Women for America
Concerned Women PAC
Council on American-Islamic Relations
Family Research Council
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Government is Not God Political Action Committee
Jewish Women International
J Street
Muslim Public Affairs Council
National Religious Campaign Against Torture Action Fund
NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
Open Doors USA
Secular Coalition for America
The John Birch Society
Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA)

Science & research

American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
American Society for Radiation Oncology
American Society of Anesthesiologists
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
The American College of Physicians

Socially conservative

American Family Association
Campaign for Working Families
Christian Coalition of America
Concerned Women for America
Concerned Women PAC
Government is Not God Political Action Committee
Heritage Action for America
Maggie's List PAC
National Defense PAC
One Nation PAC
Partnership for America
Republican Liberty Caucus
Senate Conservatives Fund
The John Birch Society

Socially liberal

Americans for Democratic Action
Campaign for America's Future
Freedom Democrats
National Committee for an Effective Congress
People for the American Way
Progressive Change Campaign Committee
Progressive Democrats of America

What changed in this edition

Organisations that had dissolved, merged or gone dormant were removed — among them CitizenLink (folded into Focus on the Family in 2015), GOProud (2014), Marriage Equality USA (2016), the National Youth Advocacy Coalition (2011), the Doris Day Animal League (merged into the Humane Society in 2006), the Parkinson's Action Network (merged into the Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2016), the National Council of Senior Citizens (merged into the Alliance for Retired Americans in 2001), and the Poker Players Alliance.

Several groups were renamed and now appear under their current names: NARAL Pro-Choice America is Reproductive Freedom for All (2023), the Susan B. Anthony List is SBA Pro-Life America (2022), the National Council of La Raza is UnidosUS (2017), the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force is the National LGBTQ Task Force (2014), the Brady Campaign is Brady (2020), and the American Wind Energy Association merged into the American Clean Power Association (2021).

Four magazines and news sites previously listed here as interest groups have been removed, because publications are not advocacy organisations.

How to contact an interest group — or your own senator

Most national organisations publish a policy or government-affairs contact on their website, and membership groups will usually speak to constituents of the members they lobby. But the more direct route to influencing a bill is your own senator: staff count constituent contacts, and weight them far more heavily than mail from outside the state.

You can find contact details for all 100 senators in our directory of senators, or go straight to phone numbers, email addresses and mailing addresses. You can also see which stocks members of Congress have disclosed trading — a different window on whose interests are in play.

Common questions

What is the difference between an interest group and a political party? A party runs candidates for office under its own label and seeks to govern. An interest group tries to influence whoever is in office, and generally works across both parties.

What is the difference between an interest group and a PAC? A political action committee is the fundraising and campaign-contribution arm. Many interest groups have an affiliated PAC, which is a legally separate entity subject to contribution limits.

What is a Super PAC? A committee that may raise and spend unlimited amounts on independent political advocacy, but may not contribute directly to candidates or coordinate with campaigns. Super PACs exist because of two 2010 decisions — Citizens United v. FEC and SpeechNow.org v. FEC.

Which interest groups are the most powerful? Influence is hard to measure, but the usual proxies are lobbying expenditure, membership size and access. Groups consistently named among the most effective include the US Chamber of Commerce, AARP, the National Association of Realtors, the American Medical Association, the AFL-CIO and the National Rifle Association.

Are interest groups legal? Yes. The First Amendment protects the right to petition the government. Regulation focuses on disclosure of lobbying and on limits to campaign contributions, not on the existence of the groups themselves.

Explore more: browse help with government programs, or find and contact your own senators.