Interest Group Assignment
Due – Wednesday, Oct. 28
1. Pick one of the interest
groups listed on your Study Guide. You
are free to pick another group if you have a different choice. Just
ask or email me to be sure you have made a good choice.
2. Go to that group’s web
site. I have link on my links page. Do NOT rely solely on the group’s site. Also, go to News Google and search for
information on your group. That will
help you find what issues they’ve been involved in recently. Research the following topics and type up a
report (about three pages, double-spaced) covering those topics. You can simply put the topic as a heading and
then give the information on that topic.
(This isn’t meant to be a thesis-driven, unified essay.) You can give your information in a
bullet-points list. Keep a list of
sources you use and include them in your final product.
A.
What are the issues your group is concerned with? What are some examples of legislation your
group supports or opposes? What actions does your group take to try to
influence policy and the public agenda? Is it involved in litigation? Give
details. What resources make it
influential? Give specific examples:
(e.g. use of the media, law suits, direct lobbying, public information
contributions, etc.) Which parts of the government does your group target, i.e.
which executive branch departments and congressional committees?
B.
What is the group’s political ideology?
Does it favor one political party over the other? If so, does it have a history of supporting
certain political candidates? What is it
doing to support its favored candidates?
What endorsements has it made? Make the connection between their
political ideology, the legislation they support, and the party they support.
OR
If
you think your group is absolutely neutral, say so. Many interest groups are neutral. Discuss the issues that your group is
concerned with and then, for the points in this section you will do the
following. Find and summarize two news
articles relevant to your interest group.
You can use http://news.google.com/ to find such articles. Use the information to show how your group is
trying to influence public policy.
C. Assess your group: What are its strengths and weaknesses? How effective is it in achieving its
agenda? Back up what you say with
specific examples demonstrating their effectiveness or lack thereof.
Include citations of sources you use or lose 10
points. Here is how a website should be
cited. Follow this model for History and
Social Sciences papers.
"AARP." http://www.aarp.org/ (accessed
Staple the rubric to the front of your paper or lose
10 points.
Name___________________
Interest Group Assignment - Due
– Wednesday, Oct. 28
|
|
Possible Points |
Your Points |
|
A. How it tries to
influence policy and the public agenda: q What
are the issues your group is concerned with?
q What
are some examples of legislation your group supports or opposes? q What
actions does your group take to try to influence policy and the public
agenda? Is it involved in litigation?
Give details. q What
resources make it influential? Give
specific examples: (e.g. use of the media, law suits, direct lobbying, public
information contributions, etc.) q Which
parts of the government does your group target, i.e. which executive branch
departments and congressional committees?
|
50 (10 pts. each) |
|
|
B. Political Efforts q What
is it doing to support its favored candidates? What endorsements has it made? q Make
the connection between their political ideology, the legislation they
support, and the party they support. or two news article
summaries if your group is neutral |
20 (10 pts. each) |
|
|
C. Assessment of your group: q What
are its strengths and weaknesses? q How
effective is it in achieving its agenda?
q Back
up what you say with specific examples demonstrating their effectiveness or
lack thereof. |
30 (10 pts. each) |
|
|
TOTAL |
100 |
|
(This rubric must be stapled
to the front of your assignment.)