These are the institutions that attempt to influence which of the various interests in society will be passed into law. In other words, whose interests will be served and whose will not?
They do so, primarily, by being involved in - and winning - elections. This involves any of the following, at least:
- forming an organization comprised of individuals united around a set of shared interests.
- communicate those issues and related information to the public.
- recruiting and supporting candidates committed to those issues.
- getting them elected or appointed to the governing institutions.
- ideally, elect or have appointed enough others in each governing institution.
- organize those institutions internally to benefit your interests
There are three broad categories of political institutions:
- Political Parties.
- Interest Groups.
- The Media.
They can be defined as follows:
- Political Parties: A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or policy goals.
- Interest Groups: Advocacy groups, also known as interest groups, special interest groups, lobbying groups, pressure groups, or public associations use various forms of advocacy in order to influence public opinion and ultimately policy. They play an important role in the development of political and social systems.
- The Media: the communication outlets or tools used to store and deliver information or data. The term refers to components of the mass media communications industry, such as print media, publishing, the news media, photography, cinema, broadcasting (radio and television), digital media, and advertising.
Fundamental, Political Liberties:
These institutions exist freely - with certain limits as discussed in the section on civil liberties - because they are defined in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, as well as Sections 8 and 27 of the Texas Bill of Rights.
The right of each to exist and act is considered fundamental, and can be restricted only if there is a compelling public need to do so. Any attempt to limit these freedoms is subject to strict scrutiny.
