Interest Groups and Foreign Policy Introduction In this article I will compare and contrast how both internal and external interest groups influence the foreign policy of a developing nation and how they influence the foreign policy of a developed state. Foreign policy is a strategy used by the government in relations with other states. Interest groups or special interest groups are any association of individuals or organizations that, based on one or more shared concerns, attempt to influence public policy in their favor usually by exerting pressure on members of government. Interest groups can be classified according to their motivation: economic, including individual companies and business organizations; professional, including professional groups such as trade unions and farmers; public interest, including human rights groups, environmental groups, among others. For the purposes of this query, we will focus on the influence of economic interest groups. We can have internal and external interest groups that influence a country's foreign policy. Internal interest groups may include; rich businessmen, multinational corporations (MNCs), opposition parties/groups and many others. External interest groups include; international organizations, multinationals, terrorist groups, non-governmental organizations and many others. In international politics interest groups play an important role in shaping a state's international relations. In a state we can have interest groups pressuring the incumbent government to introduce certain policies in order to serve their interests. For example, powerful entrepreneurs who have business interests around the world can have their state push for laws internationally to serve their interests: a good example... middle of paper... a reason to make it happen and these reasons are interest groups, who push policies by putting pressure on the government of the day. Conclusion Interest groups are associations of individuals or organizations that, based on one or more shared concerns, attempt to influence public policy in their favor, usually by exerting pressure on members of the government. The influence of interest groups on decision-making is not in itself a corrupt or illegitimate activity, but a key element of decision-making. However, the disproportionate and opaque influence of interest groups can lead to administrative corruption, undue influence and state capture, favoring particular interest groups at the expense of the public interest. Transparency is therefore crucial to ensure that politicians do not give preferential treatment to specific interest groups. Lobbying regulations, Conflict of interest, assets.