For this project, your task is straightforward, though probably not simple: Prov

For this project, your task is straightforward, though probably not simple: Provide an evaluation of an organized, politically relevant interest group in the form of an Interest Group Evaluation or Report Card. In order to evaluate your chosen group, you will need to craft your evaluative criteria based on the Group theories we’ve been addressing in class. Then, you’ll need to grade your group based on the criteria you chose.
The first step is probably to set up your grading criteria. Based on what we have learned about groups, you need to decide what characteristics are the most important and how you could “test” or “observe” those characteristics in the group.
You must have a MINIMUM of 4 grading categories or criteria. You may have more than 4.
Each grading category or criteria must be explained –> define the category and explain why that category is important, and what specific sorts of evidence one might look for to evaluate this category (what evidence would be good to seek out to prove good/bad performance in that category)?
You must formulate a grading scale for each category, as well as an overall evaluation scale. Your different categories must all be included in your overall grade, but they may be weighted as you deem appropriate.
Your categories and scales may be as simple or complex as you need and as appropriate to the task. Part of your assignment is to make your evaluation understandable and useful for a casual observer. Yes, I am grading your choices of what to include and how you explain those choices.
The “Maximum Grade” should indicate a perfect group, acting perfectly as a good group should. The “Minimum Grade” should reflect a total failure of a group. If your group grade is on either extreme, that’s probably a sign that something is wrong. Most groups will be somewhere in the middle.
The second step is to use your grading scale to evaluate your chosen group. For each grading category you created, grade your group.
Each grading standard needs a grade AND an explanation of that grade.
Explanations should be based on the specific characteristics of each category that you defined, and use the best available evidence of the indicators you suggested as important.
ALL EVIDENCE AND EXPLANATIONS REQUIRE CITATION
Remember that you need to give an overall grade to your chosen group that consolidates the different categories. Your overall final grade for your group also needs explanation, though likely not any new citations.
In this portion, you are being graded on your ability to objectively research and analyze a group, with emphasis on your research evidence and ability to explain how the evidence you collect indicates that you have assigned the appropriate grade.
Okay, that’s the information you need to convey to me. How you choose to convey that info is up to you. It seems to me that one could certainly compile that info into a paper and be fine. Many of the successful projects, historically, have submitted a graphic or slide deck with the “report card” filled out, and then accompany the simple report card with the written explanations as a “Code Book” or “Users Guide.” The codebook would include the detailed explanations of each category, the citations and evidence you collected about the group, etc. This is just a suggestion, not a requirement.
Inclusion of a works cited for any outside research materials is expected.