Interest Groups

"Even when unorganized groups are discussed, at least in treatments of "pressure groups" and "group theory," the word "group" is used in such a way that it means "a number of individuals with a common interest." It would of course be reasonable to label even a number of people selected at random (and thus without any common interest or unifying characteristic) as a "group" but most discussions of group behavior seem to deal mainly with groups that do have common interests. As Arthur Bentley, the founder of the "group theory" of modern political science, put it, "there is no group without its interest." The social psychologist Raymond Cattell was equally explicit, and stated that "every group has its interest." This is also the way the word "group" will be used here. " (The Logic of Collective Action: Public Goods and the Theory of Groups, p. 8, Mancur Olson)

Every interest group and social movement have one thing in common: a common interest. One individual person typically does not have the power to achieve change, but one group of individuals with a shared interest may have enough power to stir up some controversy and achieve change. Olson is stating in this passage that you cannot form a group by simply throwing a random bunch of people together, a group would require a common interest. No common interest, no group.

I chose this passage because it provides a greater understanding of what a group is. A group is much more than a few people; a group is a few people with a shared interest. The shared interest would be the purpose and reason to form a group.