special interests
Advocacy with agendas
Special interests are groups that advocate for particular causes, industries, or constituencies—often through lobbying, campaign contributions, or organized pressure on lawmakers.
The term typically carries a negative connotation, implying that narrow agendas are being advanced at the expense of the broader public good: Politicians beholden to special interests, special interest money in elections.
What counts as a special interest often depends on the speaker's perspective—one person's special interest is another's vital advocacy group.
- interest groupsOrganizations promoting shared agendas
- big businessLarge companies collectively
- deep pocketsConsiderable financial reserves
- pressure groupsOrganizations influencing government decisions
- revolving doorCircular spinning entrance
dark money · astroturfing · lobbying · cronyism · rent-seeking · influence · Capitol Hill · political action committee · advocacy · backroom · smoke-filled rooms · behind closed doors · policymaking · campaign finance · pay to play · Washington · corporate lobbying · donors
- advocacy groupsadvocacy group, lobbying groups, lobby group, NAACP, lobby groups
- campaign jargonstump speech, talking points, sound bites, soundbite, soundbites
- Corporate Powerlobbying, lobbyist, lobbyists, monopoly, oligarchy
- Doublespeakcollateral damage, enhanced interrogation, friendly fire, regime change, neutralize
- Neurodiversityautism spectrum, ASD, neurodivergence, neurotypical, spectrum
- political influencelobbying, lobbyists, donors, campaigns, endorsements
special interestsgeneral welfare
Collective societal benefit
shared interests · public good · the people · the masses · commonweal
special interestscivic virtue
Devotion to community welfare
grassroots movements · popular will · statesmanship · reform movements · civic engagement
special, specialist, specialty, interests, specially, especial, specialize, specialized, specialists