special interest
- noun
- In the United States, it means finding a way out of the gridlock of special interest politics.
- a special interest group
- special interest politics
I'm up against big dollars, big lobbyists, big special interests.
- I'm up against big dollars, big lobbyists, big special interests.
- And I, I think the wearing down of that trust tends to benefit special interests.
- That is a trumping of the national interest for the sake of special interests.
- I think that like I think that it has made there's there's special interests that have benefited tremendously off of all of those wars.
- It's taking on the corruption and greed in Washington, taking on the special interests that write legislation in the dead of night.
- Politicians who voice their opinions about what their visions are and what they want are then approached by companies with special interests.
- And it's, you know, now that I'm on the other side in Congress and you see how much pressure there is, you know, to to bow to a lot of special interests.
- Well, thank you, Jim Delong, author of Ending Big Sis, The Special Interest State and Renewing the American Republic.
- He's he's all about, you know, they, they shut our schools down while he's dining at the French Laundry with, with all his special interest people.
Examples
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Many voters are concerned that special interest groups have too much influence on government decisions.
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So when a certain pack or special interest group goes hard for a politician, what they get is then a Direct Line to that politician.
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Messages are placed in order of subject matter, and a large variety of special interest groups are available.
Academic text (2015) -
Why should the development of democratic citizens be a matter of special interest at this time?
Academic text (1993) -
In other words, agencies tend to act more like special interest groups than concerned government colleagues.
Academic text (2017) -
Further, it must combat special interest movements in opposition to socially desirable.
Academic text (2017) -
We can, of course, seat everyone who wishes to be present, but the front rows have been reserved for those who have a special interest in the case.
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In recent years, AASL has added two special interest groups representing students and retirees.
Academic text (2015) -
Community arts programming was of special interest to AHP Director Kathryn Bloom.
Academic text (1999) -
One of the progressive state's biggest vulnerabilities is commonly said to be its susceptibility to special interest capture.
Academic text (2017)
Synonyms
A group of people who try to persuade public officials to support a cause
A group of people with the same goal who try to influence public decisions
A group that tries to persuade people in power to change laws or rules for a cause
A group of people who try to influence government decisions about one issue
A group that tries to change government decisions to help a cause or its members
A group that tries to persuade government officials to support laws or policies
A group that tries to influence government decisions often by talking to politicians
A group that tries to influence politicians and government decisions, often by lobbying
How Influential
- US
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines 'special' (particular/unusual) and 'interest' (a concern or group with common aims), so learners can infer it refers to a particular concern or group. However, the specific political sense—organized groups that lobby to influence government for their own benefit—is a conventionalized, slightly specialized usage that is not fully predictable from the parts and may be misinterpreted by B1 learners, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Special interest paints the picture of a small, special group with a strong interest quietly pulling a politician's sleeve to get what they want. That's why it means 'a group that tries to influence government decisions'.