3.8 Interest Groups

You will be assigned one particular interest group to research. You will spend 1/2 hour in class finding important information about your group, using the organizer below. We will then share and discuss our findings and examine the impact, positive and negative, these groups might have on the political process.

Here are your list of groups:

1. American Association of Retired People (AARP) Aleena
2. American Bar Association (ABA) Leslie
3. American Farm Bureau Jordan
4. Christian Coalition
5. Environmental Defense Fund Jonah
6. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Cora
7. Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) DaShun
8. National Rifle Association (NRA) 
9. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Brandon

Use the worksheet I have given you to guide your research and presentation.  A link to the worksheet is found HERE!

Now, read THIS article to shed some light on why the government struggles to keep spending under wraps.

Tonight, read over the chapter in your book on Special Interest Groups and read (or listen to the podcast on lobbying costs) HERE.

If you want even more information on lobbying and roles being played in the government, check out the Open Secrets website.

A great video that will cover this information can be found on this Annenberg Learner website.