A foreign policy interest group, according to Thomas Ambrosio, is a domestic advocacy group which seeks to directly or indirectly influence their government's foreign policy.
[1] Foreign policy interest groups, according to John Dietrich,[2] are able to have "an impact on the earlier stages of the decision making process"[2] via the following three general, yet effective, tactics: Framing, Ambrosio describes, is "the attempt by interest groups to place an issue on the government's agenda, shape perspectives of that issue, and influence the terms of debate.
"[1] Framing is closely connected to with supplying information and analysis, according to Ambrosio, because of "the large number and diversity of issues confronting [the staff of an elected representative], it is impossible for staffers to invest sufficient time to research issues themselves.
Consequently, they are forced to rely on outside sources of information; interest groups provide this information, most likely with analysis (or "spin") beneficial to their agenda.
"[1] In addition to framing, supplying information and analysis, Ambrosio states that "interest groups closely monitor government policies pertaining to their agenda and react to those policies through" such actions as: