WARNING: This is not a history paper, nor a policy opinion paper. For example, if you choose to write a paper on the NRA, I do not need to know the long history of the group, or your opinion on the Second Amendment or whether you think gun ownership is a public good; and the paper shouldn’t be about gun violence. It should focus on the operations of the interest group! If you choose to write about Planned Parenthood the reproductive services provider, you should write about their functions as an interest group (the PPAF) NOT what they provide as a reproductive services operation (PP proper). How do they operate to influence public policy? That is what this paper is to convey. The paper should also not opine about your views on abortion or whether funding contraception is a good idea- that is not the purpose of this paper! I want to know how their political operations function. How do they raise money? How do they spend the money? What methods do they use to achieve their political purpose? The paper should therefore do what I detail below.
The essay must:
Have at least four citations from four different sources
Explain (briefly) the mission and goals of the interest group.
Explain the methods the interest group uses to fund raise.
Explain the methods they employ to influence policy i.e. lobbying, donating to politicians, running advertisements, organizing protests etc. A strong essay will incorporate various examples from the research you have done.
Briefly opine, in a closing paragraph, as to whether you believe the interest group is achieving its mission.
Reminder: Please do not write a history paper or policy opinion paper. I am saying this multiple times because if you do not follow directions you will not do well and I don’t want you to score poorly on this assignment.
The essay must incorporate at least four different citations from four different sources. Please do your best to research different sources. For fundraising and political donation data the website OpenSecrets.Org is a phenomenal resource! Also the FEC.gov website is also an excellent resource. While you may use a group’s website for information be sure to verify what you find there from alternative sources. You may also use wikipedia but I stress using the citations they use in their posts as part of your research- why where those citations used? Why are they good resources? Lastly, you must properly cite all your work, this means using either footnotes or endnotes after every sentence in which you borrow material from others’. Those sources are then cataloged in a reference page at the end that is NOT included in your required four pages.
