Interest groups have different techniques to become more powerful and influential. Political parties also have great influence on government, as do interest groups. There is a lot of history with our political parties and our strategies to convince each other to choose the right side. Size and resources make an interest group quite powerful. When the interest group is large, it receives more attention, more resources are available to it, and more people support it. This is very crucial because normally the bigger something is, the more powerful it is. If the majority of the public supports a specific aspect, this will persuade politicians or civil servants to support that aspect as well. You usually need more resources to get the message out to the public. If there are many resources, then it will be easier to advertise in magazines, advertisements and newspapers. For example, AARP is a massive interest group with a lot of support and many readily available resources. Leadership is another crucial asset for building the power of an interest group. Normally, a good leader comes up with amazing strategies. This will be useful when the interest group needs to get a message across and get the public to listen. The leader must be cunning and intellectual to be able to get the message across to politicians and elected officials quickly and influentially. Cohesion is another essential factor for a powerful interest group. It is essential that the group works well together and motivates each other. The better a group works together, the stronger and bigger it will likely become. If the group has difficulty working together, it is very difficult for them to agree on an idea...... middle of paper ......ed with anti-slavery Democrats and Radical Party members anti-slavery Free Soil Party formed into the Republican Party we know now. The Southern Whigs did not exist as a party in their own right. By the end of the Civil War, the Democrats were able to heal, but they were resentful of the Republicans for defeating the South. Republicans won in the 1890s with farmers and controlled the economy from 1896 until about 1932. In the early 1900s, some Republicans split and moved to the Progressive Party. The Republicans remained in power until the Great Depression. Democrats then controlled the country until 1968, with the exception of Eisenhower during World War II. Since then, the situation has been rather balanced between the two parties. Political parties have gone through a difficult history, but have emerged strong and very influential. Interest groups remain highly influential over government and how the public votes.