1. (Interest group will be NAACP) Identify one interest group actively lobbying the United States government regarding a topic that you care about (choose a group that fits the definition of an interest group – NOT a social movement or political party – some groups are mentioned in the Interest Groups chapter of the textbook, others may be mentioned in news stories about the topic in which you are interested). Describe the group’s main goals and objectives, especially regarding your chosen topic. You may use the group’s official website as a primary source. Remember to cite it properly.
2. Make an evidence-based argument either in support of or in opposition to one or more of the interest group’s objectives regarding your chosen topic. Note that “objectives” are not their overall goals, but the actions they intend to take to achieve their goals. Use and cite at least one solid academic source (do not use information from the interest group itself as a source of evidence) to make your case. I am not looking for an explanation or justification of your opinion or beliefs about the objectives, but an evidence-based argument that engages with statistics, research studies, case studies, expert analysis or the like from cited, solid academic sources. State your position clearly and back it up with evidence.
3. Please make sure to use quoted citations. Citations and sources may be from the following only:
You may choose from any of the peer-reviewed journals on JSTOR. Any one of the journals would count as a single source.
You may choose an academic book (check with me if you are not certain it would count as an academic book). Any one chapter in the book would count as a source. You may use multiple chapters and each chapter would count as a separate source.
You may choose a source of primary data or primary historical information. Any one would count as a single source.
You may choose an academic/university study (often found on .edu websites). Any one of the studies would count as a single source.
You may choose from the following news sources. Any one of these would count as a source.
Approved TV and Radio News Network Websites: ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, CSPAN, BBC, CBC, NPR (note that this list does not include FOX, MSNBC or CNN)
Approved Major Newspaper Websites: Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Times, Washington Post, L.A. Times, Christian Science Monitor, The Guardian
Approved Major Newsmagazine Websites: Time, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, The Economist, National Journal, The Atlantic, Bloomberg Businessweek, Fortune, Business Insider, Forbes, New Yorker, Foreign Affairs, Mother Jones, National Review, New Republic, The Nation, The Weekly Standard, Rolling Stone, The Hill
Approved Wire Services: Associated Press, Reuters
Approved Think Tanks: Center for Public Policy Priorities, Texas Public Policy Foundation, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Center for American Progress, Center for Economic and Policy Research, Economic Policy Institute, Institute for Policy Studies, Rockridge Institute, Brookings Institution, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Constitution Project, Council on Foreign Relations, New America Foundation, Resources for the Future, Henry L. Stimson Center, The RAND Corporation, Urban Institute, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Goldwater Institute, Mackinac Center for Public Policy, CATO Institute, American Enterprise Institute, Center for Immigration Studies, Center for Security Policy, Foreign Policy Research Institute, Heritage Foundation
Approved Factcheckers and Media Bias Watchdogs: Politifact.com, Factcheck.org, Media Bias / Fact Check (MBFC News), TruthOrFiction.com, Lead Stories, Hoax Slayer, Full Fact, Media Matters for America, Media Research Center
Approved Online Sources, Blogs and Vlogs: Constitution Center, Oyez.org, Politico, Google News, Yahoo News, Huffington Post, Drudge Report, Democracy Now!, Vox, Vice, The Conversation, Ballotpedia, OpenSecrets, Project Vote Smart, ThoughtCo, Medium
Approved Polling Sites: Gallup.com, FiveThirtyEight.com, The Texas Politics Project, polls conducted by universities.
Approved Texas Sources: Texas Tribune, Austin American-Statesman, Houston Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, Dallas Observer, San-Antonio Express-News, Texas Observer, Texas Monthly, D Magazine.
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