Interest Group or Issue

     As the election rolls around every four years, Americans take to the polls to vote for who they believe is most fit to run their country, who has been listening to the people, and which party is going to make the biggest difference. However, these are not the only groups who can make real change in America. Various interest groups are fighting for this change every day. An interest group is defined as "a group of people that seeks to influence public policy on the basis of a particular common interest or concern." These groups work year -round to rally their communities for one common goal and leave the world better than they found it. Groups such as EMILY's List and Color of Change are working diligently to make a real change in the world today. 

    Color of Change is the nation's largest online racial justice organization.  Their mission is to fight against the racial injustice that we face in our world today, and lead campaigns that "build real power for black communities." These sorts of interest groups can weigh heavily on which way voters lean in an election, and if they offer their support to one specific candidate, it can help their campaign immensely. Color of Change hopes to "challenge injustice, hold corporate and political leaders accountable, commission game-changing research on systems of inequality, and advance solutions for racial justice that can transform our world." They aspire to make a ripple in the water of each of these movements through peaceful protesting, educating their followers, and gaining followers who will donate, support, and sign various petitions for change.

    Color for Change offers multiple avenues for the community to get involved and work within their group. Their website houses all of their past and current campaigns for your browsing pasture, and with the click of a button, you can sign up for email and text updates to stay in the know on their current and upcoming campaigns. They are also extremely involved via social media. With half a million followers on Facebook, 1.2 million followers on Instagram, 200 thousand twitter followers, and even an up and coming TikTok, Color of Change is reaching an enormous audience and hoping to be heard by more. As an interest group that relies heavily on the voices and support of their followers, social media is one of their largest tools. They can post, tweet, and share their campaigns with their followers who can share it with theirs and so on. Each post is designed to allow you to sign the petition or support the campaign with just a click of a button; this strategy is extremely easy and effective as it can be shared and acted upon with ease.

    EMILY's List is another interest group that is active and effective through their use of social media. EMILY's List was created in 1985 to "fund campaigns for pro-choice Democratic women" and has grown to become the largest national resource for women in politics. They still stand by the idea of electing Democratic women into higher positions of office, but also serve as a vice for all female Americans. They hope to place women in powerful political positions, engage women in their communities to ignite a spark amongst themselves, and provoke others to join their movement. With millions of followers and "over 1,200 election victories," there is no doubt that EMILY's List is making a difference.

    To get involved with EMILY's List, you can simply give them your email. This method allows them to send you email, and text, updates on upcoming events, elections, or campaigns. In-person support is always welcome as they frequently have events and campaign rallies, along with encouraging women to run for office themselves. Their social media displays all of these platforms and allows you to follow along and engage. With half a million followers on Facebook, 130 thousand followers on Instagram, and 170 thousand Twitter followers, EMILY's List is being heard. With the steady flow of posts that may include an educational video, a link to a petition, or simply an empowering quote, their use of social media is essential in encouraging their followers' support. 

    Whether it is an election year or just another day, interest groups are pushing for change and working to make a difference. EMILY's List and Color of Change are two groups who do just this. With big goals comes the need for a big following, and both groups do an excellent job of reaching their community. Through their use of email and text updates along with an impressive social media pretense, bot interest groups are effective in keeping their followers up to date and getting them involved in their campaigns. While these groups do a superb job in campaigning their own ideas, they are also working diligently to make real necessary changes that our world needs today, starting with just the click of a button.