3 to 5 page essay for Goverment class on an interest group (Gun Control)

A lobby and an interest group are the same thing. An interest group is an organized group of individuals who share political goals and seek to influence public policy in the government and public opinion. There are thousands of interest groups that operate on state wide and national levels. Interest groups exist to try and influence the government and public opinion on topics ranging.

This essay will be over Gun Control.

This assignment will give you an opportunity to demonstrate your critical thinking skills and demonstrate your understanding of interest groups.

Your paper must be typed, double-spaced, and follow APA format.

Your paper should be 3-5 pages in length.

You must use at least 4 credible sources. All 4 sources must be either secondary or primary sources and are credible sources from either library books or library databases. You must use and reference at least 1 scholarly journal. Include citations for ALL sources you use. A separate works cited page MUST be included, along with citations within the paper. As a general rule you should have at least one citation for every paragraph except the introduction and conclusion.

· Your paper should include the following:

1. An introduction

2. Define an interest group in your own words.

3. What do you think the role of an interest group is in the United States / Texas political system.

4. Based on your research, do you think interest groups influence the media?

a. How?

5. Do you think interest groups influence public opinion?

a. How?

6. The Body: Your interest group

7. Describe the interest group you picked.

a. How did you learn about that group?

b. What are the goals of the group / the platform of that group?

c. Explain the interest group fully.

8. Why did you identify with this group? What personal experiences have you had that made you interested in this group?

a. What are the specific platforms of this group that you identify with? Please use specific examples.

b. What, if anything, about this group do you disagree with? Please use specific examples.

9. Who would be a member of this group?

a. What could this group do to get more members / increase its membership?

10. How is this group covered and perceived by the media? Favorably or unfavorably? Please give specific examples.

a. If your group is not covered in the media please address why you think that is and what the group could do to gain media coverage.

11. After your research of this group, how do you think this group is perceived by the public?

a. What is the publics’ opinion of this group?

12. After your research on interest groups and their interaction with the media and the public,

a. discuss three things you think your group should keep doing (i.e. what is this group doing right)

b. OR - three things you think your group should start doing (i.e. what is this group doing wrong and how could it improve itself).

13. A conclusion: what do you think is the future of this group? Where do you see this group going? Evaluate their effectiveness.

14. A separate works cited page.