Citizens become involved in the political process by locating and affiliating with linkage institutions. One way to influence policy is to become a member of a political party. Another is to join one of the many organizations of citizens which have been formed to exert influence over policy making. Some of these include:
Some of these organizations (e.g., N.A.R.A.L.) have as a goal influencing policy in a single area, although often at multiple levels of government. Other organizations (e.g., A.A.R.P.) represent a constituency and operates to influence policy making in any area that affects that group. A major activity of such organizations is lobbying legislators to initiate and support legislation which would alter policy in the direction the interest group views as desirable.
Many professional organizations (e.g., the American Psychological Association, the National Association of Social Workers, and the National Education Association) also engage in lobbying efforts to impact policy making. They can also exert considerable influence when they choose to. An example is the decision made by the American Psychological Association to support the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) when it was before state legislatures by not holding its (very large) annual conventions in any state which had not ratified the ERA.
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