Lesson
Interest Groups at Work
Guiding question
In what ways do interest groups influence government actions/policy making?
How well do interest groups represent the voices, concerns, and needs of citizens while working to connect the people and the government?
Guiding Questions
- In what ways do interest groups influence government actions/policy making?
- How do the variations in interest groups and the resources they possess affect their ability to influence?
- In what ways do interest groups help or hinder individual voices?
Objective
- The student will be able to explain the benefits and potential problems of interest groups’ influence on policy making.
Materials
Resources
Student Resources:
Teacher Resources:
- Questions to ask students from lesson plan
Lesson Components
ActivityInterest Group Analysis Graphic Organizer
A discovery activity to help students how various interest groups influence civil society.
ActivityInterest Groups Analysis Interactive Activity
An interactive activity that defines the way interest groups work to pass legislation.
Lesson plan
90 minClick a phase to open it
Key Terms
- Free-rider – non-members that benefit from the work of an interest group
More Information
Facilitation Notes
- Teachers will need to compile a variety of interest groups for students to choose from. Teachers are encouraged to choose interest groups that not only meet the needs of the assignment but suit the needs of their students (interest areas, fill gaps in knowledge, be relevant to region, appropriate for classroom environment, etc.).