Write a 4-5 page paper on one of the following three topics:

1. Imagine you are running a non-profit environmental organization (interest group) called Earth Justice 

Now. You are alarmed at the EPA policies adopted by the Trump Administration (for details, see the 

interview with Elizabeth Southerland we discussed in class). Write a paper explaining your political 

strategy for reversing these policies. Do you want to focus on using the court system, or pressuring 

Congress, or electing new officials, or some other strategy (or combination of strategies)? Why did you 

decide on the strategy you describe? What hurdles will you face, and how do you see your strategy 

succeeding?   Use at least three course readings (in addition to the Southerland interview) as the basis for explaining your strategy. 

 Examples: 

On this topic, could you explore both the value of challenging EPA actions in court and also the limits of 

this approach? Or perhaps you could you use one of the assigned readings on interest groups (such as 

Hacker and Pierson) to explain how you might pressure Congress?  Or maybe you think the only way to 

secure long-term change on this kind of issue is by building a more grassroots social movement (see the 

class readings on social movements)?