Out of the myriad of political and non-political groups now operating in France, only a minority have national significance. Most of the groups which might claim to exercise some political influence on the national level can be classified in three categories: occupationally-based groups, groups promoting the interests of specific elements of society which are not primarily defined by an economic function, and groups purporting to defend broader public interests. Before turning to the pattern of group/government relations, it is important to briefly describe the principal interest groups operating in France, their organizations, and their overall strategies of political influence. The occupational groups, by virtue of their mass bases, organizational strength, and strategic political positions, are generally the most active and influential interest groups in France. They will be examined in chapter 4. In this chapter, after a very brief look at institutional interest groups, the focus will be on the non-occupational groups: advocacy groups representing special interests such as students, veterans, and parents; and public-interest groups of consumers and ecologists.

This survey of French interest groups is necessarily incomplete. Many others are active politically and often wield important power. Almost every government department faces a set of groups whose interests are affected by that department's decisions and actions. For example, senior officials in the ministry of the environment told me of the great power exercised by the state-owned electric power utility and by hunters' associations. The few groups that will be treated in the next two chapters have been selected for more detailed examination because they are simply the ones that have most consistently played a part in the interaction between interest groups and government.