Question 1

Which of the following statements about the partisan leanings of various PACs is LEAST accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)  Labor PACs tend to favor the Democratic Party. 
B)  Energy PACs tend to favor the Republican Party. 
C)  Pharmaceutical PACs tend to favor the Republican Party. 
D)  Trial lawyer PACs tend to favor the Democratic Party. 
E)  Most influential PACs court support by giving exclusively to one party. 
A)  Labor PACs tend to favor the Democratic Party. 
B)  Energy PACs tend to favor the Republican Party. 
C)  Pharmaceutical PACs tend to favor the Republican Party. 
D)  Trial lawyer PACs tend to favor the Democratic Party. 
E)  Most influential PACs court support by giving exclusively to one party. E

Question 2

Explain why people join interest groups. What incentives encourage participation? Which of these incentives are most important? Which interest groups have been able to wield these incentives to elicit the most support, in either numbers or resources? Are the interest groups with the most numbers also the ones with the most money, or is there a notable discrepancy between these figures?

Accepted Answer

People join interest groups for a variety of reasons, including the desire to influence public policy, advocate for a specific cause, socialize with like-minded individuals, and gain access to resources and information. Incentives that encourage participation in interest groups include the opportunity to have a voice in decision-making, access to networking and social opportunities, the ability to make a difference in a specific issue or cause, and the potential for personal or professional advancement.

The most important incentives for participation in interest groups vary depending on the individual and the specific group, but generally, the opportunity to influence policy and the chance to connect with others who share similar beliefs or goals are among the most significant.

Interest groups that have been able to wield these incentives to elicit the most support, in terms of both numbers and resources, are often those with a clear and compelling message, a well-organized structure, and the ability to effectively mobilize their members. This can include groups focused on issues such as environmental conservation, civil rights, labor rights, and business interests.

In some cases, interest groups with the most members are also the ones with the most financial resources, as they are able to leverage their large membership base to raise funds and support their initiatives. However, there can also be a notable discrepancy between the number of members and the financial resources of an interest group, as some groups may have a small but dedicated membership base that is able to contribute significant resources. Ultimately, the success of an interest group in wielding incentives to elicit support depends on a combination of factors, including the strength of their message, the effectiveness of their leadership, and the level of engagement and commitment of their members.

Question 3

Which of the following statements about grassroots mobilization is LEAST accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)  Interest groups can be more effective when they have members spread across a broad swath of congressional districts. 
B)  Interest groups sometimes engage in astroturf lobbying, using deceitful practices to rally widespread support behind policies that benefit only a small section of society. 
C)  Interest groups sometimes rely on mobilizing the grass tops, focusing on the most influential members of a community. 
D)  Many interest groups build grassroots support by providing citizens with "scorecards" outlining how candidates have voted on key issues in the past. 
E)  Grassroots mobilization helps an interest group create the illusion of public backing, but this can rarely be translated into true political influence over elected officials. 
A)  Interest groups can be more effective when they have members spread across a broad swath of congressional districts. 
B)  Interest groups sometimes engage in astroturf lobbying, using deceitful practices to rally widespread support behind policies that benefit only a small section of society. 
C)  Interest groups sometimes rely on mobilizing the grass tops, focusing on the most influential members of a community. 
D)  Many interest groups build grassroots support by providing citizens with "scorecards" outlining how candidates have voted on key issues in the past. 
E)  Grassroots mobilization helps an interest group create the illusion of public backing, but this can rarely be translated into true political influence over elected officials. E

Question 4

The combined result of the 2010 Citizens United and Speechnow.org decisions is that super PACs

Accepted Answer

A)  must be treated in the exact same way as traditional PACs. 
B)  are constitutional, but 527s are not. 
C)  can accept unlimited contributions and make unlimited expenditures in federal elections. 
D)  can accept unlimited contributions but can make only limited expenditures in federal elections. 
E)  can accept contributions no higher than $2,000 per candidate per election, but can spend as much as they want on any federal race. 
A)  must be treated in the exact same way as traditional PACs. 
B)  are constitutional, but 527s are not. 
C)  can accept unlimited contributions and make unlimited expenditures in federal elections. 
D)  can accept unlimited contributions but can make only limited expenditures in federal elections. 
E)  can accept contributions no higher than $2,000 per candidate per election, but can spend as much as they want on any federal race.

Question 5

Agency "capture" occurs when

Accepted Answer

A)  an iron triangle forms. 
B)  Congress begins to assume the regulatory functions that a federal agency is supposed to handle. 
C)  a regulating agency begins to control the actual industry or business that it regulates. 
D)  an industry begins to gain undue influence over the agency that regulates it. 
E)  lobbyists effectively run a federal agency, performing all regulation duties themselves. 
A)  an iron triangle forms. 
B)  Congress begins to assume the regulatory functions that a federal agency is supposed to handle. 
C)  a regulating agency begins to control the actual industry or business that it regulates. 
D)  an industry begins to gain undue influence over the agency that regulates it. 
E)  lobbyists effectively run a federal agency, performing all regulation duties themselves.

Question 6

The White House lobbies Congress primarily through the

Accepted Answer

A)  Executive Office of the President. 
B)  Office of Legislative Affairs. 
C)  Office of Management and Budget. 
D)  White House Lobbying Counsel. 
E)  Executive Legal Advisory Group. 
A)  Executive Office of the President. 
B)  Office of Legislative Affairs. 
C)  Office of Management and Budget. 
D)  White House Lobbying Counsel. 
E)  Executive Legal Advisory Group.

Question 7

In which of the following ways did President Obama expand restrictions on lobbying?

Accepted Answer

A)  preventing all former executive agency employees from lobbying 
B)  reducing executive agency hiring of individuals who had recently lobbied 
C)  prosecuting former executive agency officials who lobby after leaving the administration 
D)  placing caps on the number of lobbyists that can be registered in Washington 
E)  eliminating the ability of lobbyists to approach members of Congress on capitol grounds 
A)  preventing all former executive agency employees from lobbying 
B)  reducing executive agency hiring of individuals who had recently lobbied 
C)  prosecuting former executive agency officials who lobby after leaving the administration 
D)  placing caps on the number of lobbyists that can be registered in Washington 
E)  eliminating the ability of lobbyists to approach members of Congress on capitol grounds

Question 8

If a public relations firm "mobilizes the grass tops," it is

Accepted Answer

A)  conducting a particularly shallow grassroots campaign that focuses on the most politically active citizens. 
B)  attempting to build up support only on the national level. 
C)  mining databases for high-status community leaders to contact legislators in key districts. 
D)  engaging in lobbying only for issues that are already widely popular on a national level. 
E)  attempting to influence only local races in hopes of effecting change that will "trickle up." 
A)  conducting a particularly shallow grassroots campaign that focuses on the most politically active citizens. 
B)  attempting to build up support only on the national level. 
C)  mining databases for high-status community leaders to contact legislators in key districts. 
D)  engaging in lobbying only for issues that are already widely popular on a national level. 
E)  attempting to influence only local races in hopes of effecting change that will "trickle up."

Question 9

The primary distinction between an interest group and a political movement is that

Accepted Answer

A)  an interest group concerns itself with only a small segment of society, while a political movement looks to improve everyone's condition. 
B)  interest groups are more narrowly focused on specific policy goals than political movements are. 
C)  interest groups have broader and more numerous support than political movements. 
D)  interest groups consist of formal organizations, whereas political movements consist solely of spontaneous gatherings. 
E)  interest groups focus solely on influencing politicians, whereas political movements focus solely on changing social norms. 
A)  an interest group concerns itself with only a small segment of society, while a political movement looks to improve everyone's condition. 
B)  interest groups are more narrowly focused on specific policy goals than political movements are. 
C)  interest groups have broader and more numerous support than political movements. 
D)  interest groups consist of formal organizations, whereas political movements consist solely of spontaneous gatherings. 
E)  interest groups focus solely on influencing politicians, whereas political movements focus solely on changing social norms.

Question 10

Discuss the role of interest groups in American politics. What are their defining characteristics? What are the major types of interest groups? What purposes do they serve? Whose interests do they best represent? Are they beneficial to American society, or do they allow factions to pursue their own interests at the expense of the common good?

Accepted Answer

Interest groups play a significant role

Question 11

A skillful lobbyist would abide by all of the following guidelines EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)  work primarily with one's allies. 
B)  recognize that measures are easier to defeat than to pass. 
C)  cultivate key committee members. 
D)  seek out and win over ideological opponents. 
E)  avoid conflicts on big issues and concentrate instead on writing the details to one's advantage. 
A)  work primarily with one's allies. 
B)  recognize that measures are easier to defeat than to pass. 
C)  cultivate key committee members. 
D)  seek out and win over ideological opponents. 
E)  avoid conflicts on big issues and concentrate instead on writing the details to one's advantage.

Question 12

Which of the following statements about PACs is LEAST accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)  The primary function of PACs is to collect money for political candidates. 
B)  Interest group members and lobbyists can contribute individually to a candidate and again to PACs that support the candidate. 
C)  PACs are not the exclusive reserve of one type of interest, but are employed by a variety of different groups. 
D)  The Supreme Court has struck down most of the McCain-Feingold Act's restrictions on PACs and campaign financing. 
E)  The amount of money that PACs can give to candidates is strictly limited. 
A)  The primary function of PACs is to collect money for political candidates. 
B)  Interest group members and lobbyists can contribute individually to a candidate and again to PACs that support the candidate. 
C)  PACs are not the exclusive reserve of one type of interest, but are employed by a variety of different groups. 
D)  The Supreme Court has struck down most of the McCain-Feingold Act's restrictions on PACs and campaign financing. 
E)  The amount of money that PACs can give to candidates is strictly limited.

Question 13

Which of the following statements about issue networks is LEAST accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)  They typically consist of lobbyists, policy specialists, members of Congress, and federal bureaucrats. 
B)  They are often open to groups with opposing interests. 
C)  They create permanent alliances based on the exchange of mutual benefits. 
D)  They are linked by shared expertise in a given area. 
E)  It is fairly common in Washington today for issue networks to dominate policy in a given area. 
A)  They typically consist of lobbyists, policy specialists, members of Congress, and federal bureaucrats. 
B)  They are often open to groups with opposing interests. 
C)  They create permanent alliances based on the exchange of mutual benefits. 
D)  They are linked by shared expertise in a given area. 
E)  It is fairly common in Washington today for issue networks to dominate policy in a given area.

Question 14

Which of the following types of interest groups currently spends the LEAST amount of money on lobbying expenses?

Accepted Answer

A)  business groups 
B)  trade associations 
C)  unions 
D)  citizens' groups 
E)  professional associations 
A)  business groups 
B)  trade associations 
C)  unions 
D)  citizens' groups 
E)  professional associations

Question 15

The 1950s and 1960s witnessed an explosion in

Accepted Answer

A)  advocacy groups. 
B)  trade associations. 
C)  business groups. 
D)  education groups. 
E)  labor unions. 
A)  advocacy groups. 
B)  trade associations. 
C)  business groups. 
D)  education groups. 
E)  labor unions.

Question 16

Which of the following tactics is part of an inside strategy?

Accepted Answer

A)  mailing flyers to a targeted segment of the local population 
B)  writing a letter to the editor of the local newspaper 
C)  orchestrating a protest outside a government building 
D)  meeting with a congressional staffer 
E)  organizing a sit-in inside a government building 
A)  mailing flyers to a targeted segment of the local population 
B)  writing a letter to the editor of the local newspaper 
C)  orchestrating a protest outside a government building 
D)  meeting with a congressional staffer 
E)  organizing a sit-in inside a government building

Question 17

Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) rates members of the House and Senate based on their voting records and how they agree with the group's agenda. This rating system is known as

Accepted Answer

A)  "heroes and zeros." 
B)  "winners and losers." 
C)  "good and bad." 
D)  "up and down." 
E)  "angels and devils." 
A)  "heroes and zeros." 
B)  "winners and losers." 
C)  "good and bad." 
D)  "up and down." 
E)  "angels and devils."

Question 18

In the wake of the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, the National Rifle Association

Accepted Answer

A)  lobbied for legislative regulation of bump stocks. 
B)  announced that it would oppose any measure of any kind that might increase regulation of firearms. 
C)  proposed a ban on all automatic and semiautomatic assault rifles. 
D)  expressed a desire for greater regulation of assault rifles. 
E)  suggested it might consider legislation to regulate bump stocks but took no actual steps toward doing so. 
A)  lobbied for legislative regulation of bump stocks. 
B)  announced that it would oppose any measure of any kind that might increase regulation of firearms. 
C)  proposed a ban on all automatic and semiautomatic assault rifles. 
D)  expressed a desire for greater regulation of assault rifles. 
E)  suggested it might consider legislation to regulate bump stocks but took no actual steps toward doing so.

Question 19

The Bonus Army that marched on Washington to demand benefits from the federal government consisted primarily of veterans of

Accepted Answer

A)  the Civil War. 
B)  World War I. 
C)  World War II. 
D)  the Korean War. 
E)  the Vietnam War. 
A)  the Civil War. 
B)  World War I. 
C)  World War II. 
D)  the Korean War. 
E)  the Vietnam War.

Question 20

Which of the following statements about the history of interest groups in the United States is LEAST accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)  Although nineteenth-century women participated in campaigns for moral reform, they did not pursue a greater political role. 
B)  Before the Civil War, abolitionists created societies intended to pressure the government into adopting antislavery legislation. 
C)  The creation of a national railroad system went hand-in-hand with the emergence of lobbyists seeking government perks and favorable legislation. 
D)  In the late nineteenth century, many farmers reacted against economic change by joining interest groups such as the Grange. 
E)  The power and prominence of interest groups developed partly in response to the declining organizational strength of traditional political parties. 
A)  Although nineteenth-century women participated in campaigns for moral reform, they did not pursue a greater political role. 
B)  Before the Civil War, abolitionists created societies intended to pressure the government into adopting antislavery legislation. 
C)  The creation of a national railroad system went hand-in-hand with the emergence of lobbyists seeking government perks and favorable legislation. 
D)  In the late nineteenth century, many farmers reacted against economic change by joining interest groups such as the Grange. 
E)  The power and prominence of interest groups developed partly in response to the declining organizational strength of traditional political parties.

Which of the following statements about the partisan leanings of various PACs is LEAST accurate?

Which of the following statements about grassroots mobilization is LEAST accurate?

The combined result of the 2010 Citizens United and Speechnow.org decisions is that super PACs

Agency "capture" occurs when

The White House lobbies Congress primarily through the

In which of the following ways did President Obama expand restrictions on lobbying?

If a public relations firm "mobilizes the grass tops," it is

The primary distinction between an interest group and a political movement is that

A skillful lobbyist would abide by all of the following guidelines EXCEPT

Which of the following statements about PACs is LEAST accurate?

Which of the following statements about issue networks is LEAST accurate?

Which of the following types of interest groups currently spends the LEAST amount of money on lobbying expenses?

The 1950s and 1960s witnessed an explosion in

Which of the following tactics is part of an inside strategy?

Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) rates members of the House and Senate based on their voting records and how they agree with the group's agenda. This rating system is known as

In the wake of the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, the National Rifle Association

The Bonus Army that marched on Washington to demand benefits from the federal government consisted primarily of veterans of

Which of the following statements about the history of interest groups in the United States is LEAST accurate?

Citizenship: in Our Changing Democracy

The Constitution: The Foundation of Citizens Rights

Federalism: Citizenship and the Dispersal of Power

Civil Liberties: Citizens Rights Versus Security

Civil Rights: Toward a More Equal Citizenry

Public Opinion

Political Participation: Equal Opportunities and Unequal Voices

Parties and Political Campaigns: Putting Democracy Into Action

Media: Tuning in or Tuning Out

Congress: Doing the Peoples Business

The Presidency: Power and Paradox

Bureaucracy: Citizens As Owners and Consumers

The Courts: Judicial Power in a Democratic Setting

Public Policy: Responding to Citizens

Foreign and Defense Policy: Protecting American Interests in the World

Filters

Exam 8: Interest Groups in America

Which of the following statements about the partisan leanings of various PACs is LEAST accurate?

Which of the following statements about grassroots mobilization is LEAST accurate?

The combined result of the 2010 Citizens United and Speechnow.org decisions is that super PACs

Agency "capture" occurs when

The White House lobbies Congress primarily through the

In which of the following ways did President Obama expand restrictions on lobbying?

If a public relations firm "mobilizes the grass tops," it is

The primary distinction between an interest group and a political movement is that

A skillful lobbyist would abide by all of the following guidelines EXCEPT

Which of the following statements about PACs is LEAST accurate?

Which of the following statements about issue networks is LEAST accurate?

Which of the following types of interest groups currently spends the LEAST amount of money on lobbying expenses?

The 1950s and 1960s witnessed an explosion in

Which of the following tactics is part of an inside strategy?

Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) rates members of the House and Senate based on their voting records and how they agree with the group's agenda. This rating system is known as

In the wake of the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, the National Rifle Association

The Bonus Army that marched on Washington to demand benefits from the federal government consisted primarily of veterans of

Which of the following statements about the history of interest groups in the United States is LEAST accurate?

Citizenship: in Our Changing Democracy

The Constitution: The Foundation of Citizens Rights

Federalism: Citizenship and the Dispersal of Power

Civil Liberties: Citizens Rights Versus Security

Civil Rights: Toward a More Equal Citizenry

Public Opinion

Political Participation: Equal Opportunities and Unequal Voices

Parties and Political Campaigns: Putting Democracy Into Action

Media: Tuning in or Tuning Out

Congress: Doing the Peoples Business

The Presidency: Power and Paradox

Bureaucracy: Citizens As Owners and Consumers

The Courts: Judicial Power in a Democratic Setting

Public Policy: Responding to Citizens

Foreign and Defense Policy: Protecting American Interests in the World

Filters