Interest Group Assignment
Name_____________
Due:
1. Pick one of the interest groups listed below. You are free to pick another group if you have a
different choice. Just ask or email me to be sure you have made a good choice.
2. Go to that group’s web site. Go to Google News and search for information on your group.
That will help you find what issues they’ve been involved in recently. Research the following
topics and type up a report (about three pages, double-spaced) covering those topics. You can
simply put the topic as a heading and then give the information on that topic. (This isn’t meant to
be a thesis-driven, unified essay.) You can give your information in a bullet-points list
A. What are the issues your group is concerned with? What are some examples
of legislation your group supports or opposes? What actions does your group
take to try to influence policy and the public agenda? What resources make it
influential? Give specific examples: (e.g. use of the media, law suits, direct
lobbying, public information contributions, etc.) Which parts of the government
does your group target, i.e. which executive branch departments and
congressional committees?
B. What is the group’s political ideology? Does it favor one political party over the
other? If so, does it have a history of supporting certain political candidates?
What is it doing to support their favored candidates? Make the connection
between their political ideology, the legislation they support, and the party they
support.
OR
If you think your group is absolutely neutral, say so. Many interest groups are
neutral. Discuss the issues that your group is concerned with and then, for the
points in this section you will do the following. Find and summarize two news
articles relevant to your interest group. You can use http://news.google.com/ or
any of the media resources located on my blog to find such articles. Use the
information to show how your group is trying to influence public policy.
C. Assess your group: What are its strengths and weaknesses? How effective is
it in achieving its agenda? Back up what you say with specific examples
demonstrating their effectiveness or lack thereof.
Possible
Points
A. How it tries to influence policy and the public agenda
20
B. Political Efforts/two news article summaries if your group is neutral
10
C. Assessment of your group’s strengths and weaknesses with
examples supporting your conclusions
20
TOTAL
50
(This rubric must be stapled to the front of your assignment.)
Your
Points
Interest Groups
You should be familiar with the following Interest Groups. Basically, I want you to
know the types of issues these groups are involved in and whether they are
generally supporters of liberals or conservatives, or are non-ideological. If I were
to give you an issue, you should know which interest groups would be involved.
Use this list to pick an interest group for your assignment.
Business Issues
 Canadian Defence Preparedness Association
 Mining Association of Canada (MAC)
 Retail Council of Canada
Environment and Natural Resources
 Ecology Action Centre
 Environmental Youth Alliance
 Greenpeace Canada
Ethnic
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Canadian Jewish Congress
Canadian Arab Federation
Assembly of First Nations
Métis National Council
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society
Mouvement Québec français
United Macedonian Diaspora
Japanese Canadians
Labour
 Canadian Labour Congress
Peace
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Canadian Network to Abolish Nuclear
Weapons
Mines Action Canada
Project ploughshares: Canada's ecumenical
peace coalition
Public Policy Groups
 Atlantic Institute for Market Studies
 Canada West Foundation
 The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
 C.D. Howe Institute
 Fraser Institute
 National Citizens' Coalition
Seniors
 Canadian Association of Retired People
Sexual Orientation
 EGALE Canada
 Gay Canada
Society
 Canadian Council on Social Development
 The Council for Canadian Unity
 The Council of Canadians
Student-run Groups
 Canadian Federation of Students
 National Educational Association of Disabled
Students (NEADS)
 Ontario Public Interest Research Group Toronto branch
 Simon Fraser University Public Interest
Research Group
Women
 Canadian Federation of University Women
(CFUW)
 Canadian Women's Business Network
 National Council of Women of Canada
(NCWC)
 Real Women of Canada
 White Ribbon Campaign