Interest Group Webquest

For this assignment use the following website to get a listing of think tanks and interest groups:

Think Tanks:http://www.hks.harvard.edu/library/research/guides/think-tanks-directory.htm

Interest Groups:http://votesmart.org/interest-groups

Choose two think tanks AND one interest group from each of the following categories-

Business, Labor, Environmental, and Public Interest and answer the following questions:

1.    Think Tank #1

1. What is the name of the think tank? 

2. What is the group’s purpose?

3. What are some of the major issues that concern the group?

4. In what ways does the group try to influence the policy process and gain access to the 3 branches of government and/or the different levels of government?

5. How is the group funded?

6. What features are on the organization’s website that tries to keep you “hooked”?

7. What political ideology does the group seem to be most aligned with?

2.    Think Tank #2

a.      What is the name of the think tank?

b.      What is the group’s purpose?

c.      What are some of the major issues that concern the group?

d.      In what ways does the group try to influence the policy process and gain access to the 3 branches of government and/or the different levels of government?

e.      How is the group funded?

f.       What features are on the organization’s website that tries to keep you “hooked”?

g.      What political ideology does the group seem to be most aligned with?

3.    Business Interest Group

a.      What is the name of the interest group?

b.      What is the group’s purpose?

c.      What are some of the major issues that concern the group?

d.      In what ways does the group try to influence the policy process and gain access to the 3 branches of government and/or the different levels of government?

e.      How is the group funded?

f.       What features are on the organization’s website that tries to keep you “hooked”?

g.      What political ideology does the group seem to be most aligned with?

4.    Labor Interest Group

a.      What is the name of the interest group?

b.      What is the group’s purpose?

c.      What are some of the major issues that concern the group?

d.      In what ways does the group try to influence the policy process and gain access to the 3 branches of government and/or the different levels of government?

e.      How is the group funded?

f.       What features are on the organization’s website that tries to keep you “hooked”?

g.      What political ideology does the group seem to be most aligned with?

5.    Environmental Interest Group

a.      What is the name of the interest group?

b.      What is the group’s purpose?

c.      What are some of the major issues that concern the group?

d.      In what ways does the group try to influence the policy process and gain access to the 3 branches of government and/or the different levels of government?

e.      How is the group funded?

f.       What features are on the organization’s website that tries to keep you “hooked”?

g.      What political ideology does the group seem to be most aligned with?

6.    Public Interest Group

a.      What is the name of the interest group?

b.      What is the group’s purpose?

c.      What are some of the major issues that concern the group?

d.      In what ways does the group try to influence the policy process and gain access to the 3 branches of government and/or the different levels of government?

e.      How is the group funded?

f.       What features are on the organization’s website that tries to keep you “hooked”?

g.      What political ideology does the group seem to be most aligned with?