Interest Groups, Lobbyists, Parties & PAC’s

I'm working on a political science writing question and need guidance to help me learn.

Provide a detailed response to ONE OR MORE of the following questions:

1). As it concerns elections, are interest groups or political parties more influential in affecting the outcome?

2). On balance, do you believe that interest groups are good for our democracy? Or, are they harmful? Provide an example of an interest group whose work has had a positive, or negative, impact on the nation.

3). When you hear the term "lobbyist", what comes to mind?

4). The founding fathers warned against the formation of 'factions'. Would our Democracy be better and stronger without political parties? Or, should there be MORE parties actively involved in the political process, as is the case in many European Parliamentary systems (Links to an external site.)?

5). Do "Political Action Committees" have a corrupting influence on our democracy? Or, are they simply a necessary and important part of our democratic system of government and politics – one component of a pluralistic political system?