Interest groups are generally collections of people that share the same belief that is at the heart of the interest group. For example, people who are concerned about the safety and welfare of animals may join the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) special interest group, while those who are interested in guns may join the National Rifle Association (NRA). The goal of the interest group is to further a specific agenda, which is related to the nature of the group. However, joining together for a mutual goal is not always enough to convince people to join interest groups. Therefore, some interest groups offer incentives to people to join them. These can be broken down into three types of incentives: solidary incentives, material incentives, and purposive incentives (Course-Notes, 2013). "Solidary incentives are the sense of pleasure, status, or companionship that arises out of meeting in small groups (for example, local members that support a national staff). Material incentives include money or things and services that are valued by members and lure them into the group; they are tangible rewards. Purposive incentives are based on an ideal of accomplishment, and when an interest group's goal can benefit even those who don't join, those...
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