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SW: added characteristics
The shadowy way front groups operate makes it difficult to know whether a seemingly independent grassroots is actually representing some other entity. Thus, citizen smokers' rights groups and organizations of bartenders or restaurant workers working against smoking bans are sometimes characterized as front groups for the tobacco industry, but it is possible that some of these groups are self-initiated (although the tobacco industry has been known to use restaurant groups as fronts for its own interests).
== Characteristics ==
A front group typically has some (but not necessarily all) of the following characteristics:
* Conceals its main sources of funding
* Is set up by and/or operated by another organization, (particularly a [[public relations]], [[astroturf|grassroots campaigning], [[opinion poll|polling]] or surveying firm or consultancy)
* Engages in actions that consistently and conspicuously benefit a third party, such as a company, industry or political candidate;
* Effectively shields a third party from liability/responsibility/culpability
* Re-focuses debate about an issue onto a new or suspiciously unrelated topic, (e.g., [[secondhand smoke]] as a property rights issue)
* Has a misleading name that disguises its real agenda, such as the [[National Wetlands Coalition]], which opposed policies to protect U.S. wetlands, or [[Citizens for a Free Kuwait]], which purported to represent U.S. citizens but was actually funded almost entirely by the royal family of Kuwait. Sometimes a front group's name might seem to suggest academic or political neutrality ("Institute for Research," "American Policy Foundation"), while in fact it consistently turns out opinions, research, surveys, reports, polls and other declarations that benefit the interests of a company, industry or political candidate.
* Has the same address or phone number as a similar group that has since disbanded, or been forced out of business by exposure, lawsuits, etc.
* Consists of a group of vocal, "esteemed" academic "experts" who go on national tours, put on media events, give press conferences, seminars, workshops, and give editorial board meetings around the country, etc., who ordinarily would not seem to have the budget or financial means to carry out such events
* Touts repeatedly in communications that it is "independent," "esteemed," "credible" etc.
==History==
