Interest Groups

Interest Groups
1. Select one of the interest groups/organizations listed below.

AARP – American Association of Retired People
ACLU – American Civil Liberties Union
AFL-CIO – American Federation of Labor – Congress of Industrial Organizations
American Conservative Union
FPA-Farm Policy Action
AIPAC – American Israel Public Affairs Committee
Council on American-Islamic Relations
Family Research Council
Handgun Control, Inc.
GLAAD- Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
NAN-National Action Network
National Right to Life
NOW – National Organization of Women
NRA – National Rifle Association
American Humane Society
Public Citizen
Sierra Club
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
VFW-Veterans of Foreign Wars
2. Perform a web search to locate the group’s main web site. Also, perform a web search for recent information about your group’s activities. You can either type up your report as an essay or you can give your information in a bullet-point list. Make sure your paper answers all the questions. Separate your responses with two spaces between answers.

1. What is the organization or group’s website?

2. What are the issues your organization or group is concerned with?

3. What actions does your group take to try to influence policy and the public agenda?

4. Assess your group: What are its strengths and weaknesses?

Back up what you say with specific examples demonstrating their effectiveness (or lack of effectiveness). Remember to find weaknesses of the group; you will likely need to research beyond the group’s main website. Every group has a weakness – your task is to find it. A response like, “I didn’t find any weaknesses” is not acceptable. Start by Googling “opposition to …” and you will find things. Some things will not be accurate or fair. Your job is to sort those out.

5. Summarize a news article from the organization or group in a paragraph.

NOTE: Be sure to include the websites where you found your information.

As with all weekly written assignments, submit your work as an attached file. Double-space your paper and use 12 point Times New Roman as your font