Step 1: Select an issue or cause that is of interest to you, and prepare to create a hypothetical interest group that will advocate for the interest. The issue or cause could be big and national in scope (for example, gun safety); it could be small and local in scope (for example, cleanliness of the public park in your town); or anywhere in between. Note: Submissions that analyze existing, real-life interest groups will not be graded. Once you’ve selected an issue or cause, think about your goals and what you would want your interest group to accomplish. Talk to friends, family, or community members, or research on the Internet to learn more about the issue.
Step 2: Download the Create an Interest Group template and review the prompts. Think about the specific policy and membership goals of your hypothetical interest group, the barriers to achieving those goals, and the strategies that would best lead you to success.Step 3: Complete the Create an Interest Group template. You will respond to the following prompts:
Your Interest Group
In approximately 6-8 sentences, name your interest group, describe the issue or cause it supports or opposes, and why.
What type of interest group is it? The Types of Interest Groups tutorial can help you answer this prompt.
Goals
What are your specific policy goals? Specify at least 2.
Which level(s) of government and which government branch(es) will you target, and why?
Is there one political party that might be more receptive to your goals? Why or why not?
What barriers exist to meeting your goals? Specify 2 or more. Examples might include the free rider problem, lack of popular support, lack of political support, financial barriers, or others.
How might your group overcome each of those barriers?
Membership
Who will you target for membership and how will you grow it?
What sorts of incentives can your interest group provide? The Factors that Influence the Power of Interest Groups tutorial can help you answer this prompt.
Actions
Choose two inside lobbying approaches and two outside lobbying approaches that your interest group will use. Explain how each will contribute to the goals. You can choose from the menu provided (below), or brainstorm your own ideas.
The Interest Group Strategies tutorial can also help you answer this prompt.
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