Political parties and interest groups are both comprised of individuals with similar viewpoints and those who are working to add, change, or amend policy. Political parties and interest groups are plentiful in the US. Some of the more recognizable brands are the Democratic and Republican Party (political parties) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Civil Liberties Union (interest groups). Political parties and interest groups both represent individuals with shared beliefs and try to advance those beliefs through policy creation or amendments. However, political parties are often broadly focused to appeal to the general public, ensure members remain electorally viable, and signal what they stand for through their platforms. Interest groups, on the other hand, are generally more narrowly focused on specific interests and use tactics like lobbying, advertising, and educating others to achieve change from the outside. We discussed that casting an informed vote requires some homework for a voter because there are usually additional candidates and issues in an election in addition to the major candidate who have been more visible and running ads.