Participation in Government
Interest Group Project
Interest groups play a very important
part in American politics. They represent the wishes and interests of
everyday citizens like you and me as well as large multi national
corporations. Interest groups are effective because they can combine
the motivation, energy and financial resources of many.
Interest groups perform various
functions but most importantly they attempt to influence government.
The purpose of this project is to focus in on several interest groups
so we can learn what they are, what they represent and how they
operate.
Each group must complete the
following:
1. Complete a short typewritten paper
(Can be printed as a fact sheet, in outline form or in question and
answer form) that is due the day of your presentation.
The paper must answer
all of the following questions:
- What is your interest
group?
- Where is the interest group
based?
- Who is the current President of
the group?
- When, where and why was it
founded? Who founded it?
- What is the purpose, issue of
your interest group?
- How many members does your
interest group have?
- What does the interest group do
for its members (member services)?
- What issues does it support? How
does it justify (defend) that position?
- What issues does it oppose? How
does it justify (defend) that position?
- What legislation has it supported
and opposed in recent years?
- What presidential candidates has
it endorsed, if any?
- What presidential candidates has
it donated money to? How much?
(See http://www.fec.gov)
- Has the interest group backed
anyone in the New York Senatorial race? If so have they donated
money and how much?
2. Prepare and deliver a 15 - 20
minute presentation on your interest group. It can go longer if you
wish.
In your presentation you must:
- Explain to the class the answers
to all of the questions in the list above.
- Provide a handout for the class
with facts and information about the interest group. This should
not be the same thing you give me. This should be shorter, more
concise. A pamphlet would be a good idea.
- Be prepared to answer
questions.
- Give the class your opinion about
this group and their positions.
In your presentation you might want
to (optional):
- Use Power Point or some computer
presentation software. I can get a lap top and projector.
- Have visual aids of some
sort.
- Get a guest speaker from that
group to come to class! See me if you want to do this.
When you do your presentation
you may not read
straight from a pre written speech. You can have notes with you but you must not
rely on them totally. Everyone in the group must present an equal
portion of the presentation.
3. The presentation and your paper
will be graded based upon the rubrics that are attached. The
breakdown is as follows:
Paper - 50%
- 25% of the paper will be self
graded based upon the attached self evaluation rubric.
- 75% of the paper will be graded
by the teacher. The rubric used to grade the paper is
attached.
Presentation - 50%
- 25% of the presentation portion
will be graded by the class, the rubric used to grade the paper is
attached.
- 25% of the presentation portion
will be self graded, the rubric used to grade the paper is
attached.
- 50% of the presentation portion
will be graded by the teacher, the rubric used to grade the paper
is attached.
RUBRICS TO BE ADDED SOON -
Check Back
4. Here are the interest groups.
Please fill in all the information as they are assigned so you have
it for your records.
Note: Each group is hyperlinked to their web site... thank me
later!
For the links to other interest
groups
click here
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