AMA (American Medical Association) IG Research

- either make a flyer or create a powerpoint slide to let the class know what your IG is about
- introduce the class to your group by explaining what its about and researching its activities:
Lobbying, Electioneering, Litigation, Going Public
-explain what your group is about and how it goes about achieving its goals
-find out how it has spent money in support of candidates and issues!

4 CATEGORIES:
1. Lobbying:

• influencing officeholders/ policymakers (provide info about the IG's needs and concerns, ideas about legislation the group would like to have or to get rid of)
• ideas about the enforcement of current laws (regulation, monitoring, etc)
• IG's spend money hiring professionals (lobbyists), whose job is to make the case (to policymakers and staff) 
• what about the IG's policy goals?

2. Electioneering (PACS)

• influencing the selection of officeholders/policymakers 
• outcomes of elections

3. Litigation- NOT legislation, to means going to court even if the group is not suing or being sued. "Filing a friend of the court" (amicus curiae) are briefs in lawsuits to help win specific ruling favorable to the interest group. When an interest group files an "amicus brief" they are not themselves a litigant in the case- although a member of the group might well be, but they are there to influence the outcome of the case because they like the precedent it could set

• Give an example?

4. Going Public

• advertising, social media, website, etc. (communicating with the general public to shape the public's opinion of the industry/interest group itself with the ultimate goal of influencing policy outcomes 
• by influencing the choices voters make in elections, and by influencing the types of policy they will expect, demand, and request from a member of congress
• going public is a step towards getting an IG's issue on the "policy agenda"
• allows the IG to frame the issue 
• example of "framing the issue": a gun rights lobbyist will frame the issue as a matter of fundamental rights and freedom, while an activist for restrictions or regulations on gun ownership will from the issue as a matter of public safety. 

AMA (American Medical Association):

1. Lobbyists 

2. Electioneering

3. Litigation

4. Going Public