Deck 11: Interest Groups and Social Movements

Question 1

The resource mobilization perspective suggests that a social movement's success or failure hinges on its ability to _________________.

A) provide high-quality selective incentives
B) recruit talented political entrepreneurs
C) activate latent interests
D) connect preexisting established groups into a broader movement
E) overcome free riding

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which is a concern shared by a group of people on which they have not yet chosen to act?

A) lasting interest
B) latent interest
C) lost interest
D) local interest
E) level interest

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Lobbying is directed primarily toward ________.

A) courts, because they have the autonomy to change laws to benefit interest groups
B) the president, because he or she sets political agendas
C) bureaucrats, because they can change regulatory policies to benefit interest groups
D) the president and Congress, because they find it electorally beneficial to be responsive to constituents
E) bureaucracies and the president, because bureaucrats work in the Executive Office of the President

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s is the quintessential example of a/an ________.

A) interest group
B) social movement
C) collective action network
D) social network
E) political party

Question 5

The women's suffrage movement, the civil rights movement, and the Tea Party movement are examples of ________.

A) interest groups
B) political parties
C) corporatism
D) social networks
E) social movements

Question 6

What type of interest group attempts to influence policies in ways that do not selectively or materially benefit its members?

A) public interest group
B) general welfare society
C) public good organization
D) charitable organization
E) social choice society

Question 7

A/an ________ is a loose organization of groups with common goals that are oriented toward using mass action to influence the government.

A) social movement
B) interest group
C) political party
D) social network
E) lobbying group

Question 8

A collection of groups come together and develop a platform of political goals. The groups are driven to act together because they lack access to conventional means of political participation. Because they are disadvantaged and excluded from conventional politics, they choose to use tactics that may draw public attention to their issues. How is this most easily defined?

A) interest group
B) protest movement
C) social movement
D) collective action
E) public interest group

Question 9

The Black Lives Matter movement relied on many existing resources to establish new chapters around the country. Which of the following helps explain the success of this social movement?

A) collective action theory
B) resource mobilization perspective
C) "party in the street" theory
D) pluralism
E) special donors

Question 10

If the National Rifle Association began to nominate its own candidates to run for public offices, rather than endorsing or supporting external candidates, it would cease to be a/an ________ and become a/an ________.

A) interest group; political party
B) lobbying organization; interest group
C) pressure group; lobbying organization
D) public interest group; pressure group
E) select donor; public interest group

Question 11

An interest group sends a representative to the office of a member of Congress to convince her to support its position on pending legislation. What is this called?

A) pandering
B) legislating
C) wheeling
D) brokering
E) lobbying

Question 12

A social movement might be considered successful if it ________.

A) mobilizes people to participate and changes policy
B) changes cultural norms and political institutions
C) changes political institutions and policies
D) shapes political agendas and changes cultural norms
E) changes cultural norms and mobilizes people to participate

Question 13

Many residents of Detroit are employed by automobile manufacturers. When those companies almost dissolved in the financial crisis of the 2000s, residents' interest in the political treatment of automobile manufacturers may have gone from ________ to ________.

A) active; latent
B) selective; latent
C) collective; active
D) selective; collective
E) latent; active

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT an activity an interest group would undertake?

A) lobbying members of Congress
B) representing workers to their employers
C) influencing bureaucratic policies
D) nominating candidates for elected office
E) earning profits for shareholders

Question 15

The civil rights movement is best characterized as a/an ________ because of the involvement of many different organizations and the use of unconventional forms of political activism to engage individuals who had been excluded from normal political processes.

A) political party
B) interest group
C) social network
D) social movement
E) political machine

Question 16

What is the primary distinction between an interest group and a political party?

A) Interest groups do not seek positions of power in government; political parties do.
B) Interest groups operate at the national level, while political parties are organized at the state level.
C) Interest groups are smaller than political parties.
D) Interest groups are focused on individual issues; political parties are interested in large sets of issues.
E) Interest groups are larger than political parties.

Question 17

According to the resource mobilization perspective, the civil rights movement succeeded in part because it was able to ________.

A) rely on preexisting networks of student organizations and churches, which were able to elicit large financial donations from their members
B) rely on preexisting networks of student organizations and churches, which were able to mobilize their members for political action
C) rely on preexisting networks of student organizations and churches, which were able to convince their members to act with the group regardless of personal preferences
D) mobilize substantial financial resources, which it then used to hire lobbyists and support candidates for elected office
E) mobilize substantial financial resources, which it used to train movement adherents in protest tactics and public speaking

Question 18

In the period between 1998 and 2016, the _______________ lobbies spent the most on lobbying activities in the United States.

A) energy/natural resources, health, and business
B) health, business, and finance
C) defense, health, and business
D) defense, energy/natural resources, and business
E) business, defense, and transportation

Question 19

Which is an attempt to influence public officials by speaking to them directly or by pressuring them through their constituents?

A) lobbying
B) legislating
C) brokering
D) wheeling
E) pandering

Question 20

A bill requiring the auto industry to meet stricter emission standards is set to come before Congress. Many groups are invested in its outcome-environmental interest groups, auto manufacturers, labor unions, mechanics, environmental scientists, oil companies, and others. How are the groups representing these interests likely to behave?

A) They will compete to make the largest donations to lawmakers.
B) They will compete to get the most attention from lawmakers.
C) They will work together to reframe issues and appeal to the broader public.
D) They will work together to overcome collective action problems.
E) They will work together to overcome coordination problems.

Question 21

Multiple interest groups often face a/an ________ when attempting to agree on strategies or tactics to achieve a common goal.

A) coordination problem
B) prisoner's dilemma
C) principal-agent problem
D) unstable coalition
E) collective action problem

Question 22

Chevrolet and Greenpeace both support a bill that would require automobile manufacturers to meet stricter emissions standards in the next two years. Chevrolet supports the bill because its Chevy Volt is one of the few cars that already meets these standards and Chevrolet is likely to benefit financially from stricter regulation while its competitors struggle to catch up. Greenpeace supports the bill because of its potential environmental benefits.

- Though they both support the bill, Greenpeace and Chevrolet are likely to face a/an ________ when advocating for its passage.

A) coordination problem
B) prisoner's dilemma
C) principal-agent problem
D) unstable coalition
E) collective action problem

Question 23

Chevrolet and Greenpeace both support a bill that would require automobile manufacturers to meet stricter emissions standards in the next two years. Chevrolet supports the bill because its Chevy Volt is one of the few cars that already meets these standards and Chevrolet is likely to benefit financially from stricter regulation while its competitors struggle to catch up. Greenpeace supports the bill because of its potential environmental benefits.

- When faced with these different arguments, politicians may become confused about what the bill does and who it supports, and may decide to discard the bill. To prevent this, Chevrolet and Greenpeace would benefit from forming a ________.

A) coordinated solution
B) principal-agent problem
C) coalition
D) social movement
E) public interest group

Question 24

Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.'s efforts to lead the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and other organizations against discriminatory laws and practices in the American South is an example of ________.

A) a selective incentive
B) political entrepreneurship
C) corporatism
D) elitism
E) insider lobbying

Question 25

Which dilemma is evident in the difficulties that arise in enticing individuals who may benefit from an interest group's work to provide financial support for that organization?

A) coordination problem
B) prisoner's dilemma
C) principal-agent problem
D) unstable coalition
E) collective action problem

Question 26

The Human Rights Campaign, which lobbies for the rights of gays and lesbians, sends bumper stickers to individuals who provide financial support to the organization. These bumper stickers are an example of ________.

A) a solidary incentive
B) a public good
C) a selective incentive
D) a by-product
E) insider lobbying

Question 27

Which are activities by lobbyists and interest group leaders that involve direct contact with policy makers?

A) outside lobbying
B) inside lobbying
C) pandering
D) argumentation
E) profiling

Question 28

Interest groups are most successful when they exist for reasons beyond the purpose of influencing politics and when they _______________.

A) activate latent interests
B) provide high-quality by-products for participating
C) figure out how to overcome individuals' proclivity to free ride
D) rely on volunteers
E) All of these are correct.

Question 29

Interest groups sometimes offer ________, which are rewards or benefits available only to their members or financial supporters, to overcome the collective action problem.

A) public goods
B) selective incentives
C) public incentives
D) selective service
E) primary rewards

Question 30

Which of the following is an "outsider" lobbying technique?

A) taking personal meetings with policy makers
B) hosting fund-raising events for legislators
C) taking members of a legislative staff out for a meal to discuss pending legislation
D) running radio advertisements naming legislators who oppose pending legislation
E) making telephone calls to legislators to discuss pending legislation

Question 31

Lobbyists tend to lobby legislators or bureaucrats who are ________.

A) most strongly opposed to the group's position
B) indecisive about supporting the group's position
C) supportive of the group's position
D) less senior, that is, have served little time in their institutions
E) more senior, that is, have served much time in their institutions

Question 32

Calista is an enthusiastic gun owner and a supporter of extensive gun ownership rights. Yet, she is not a member of the National Rifle Association or any other interest groups that lobbies for the rights of gun owners. Calista is ________ the efforts of the National Rifle Association as well as other pro-gun interest groups and their members.

A) free riding on
B) free birding on
C) insider lobbying for
D) outsider lobbying for
E) bird-dogging

Question 33

An interest group advocating for marriage equality relies heavily on the contributions of two individuals. Jeff is a CEO who hopes to marry his partner one day and is therefore willing to support the group financially. Maria is a committed, charismatic advocate who can seize political opportunities and is willing to be the face of the organization regardless of the costs to her personally. Jeff is an example of a/an ________, while Maria is a/an ________.

A) entrepreneur; special donor
B) active interest; special donor
C) special donor; entrepreneur
D) special donor; active interest
E) active interest; entrepreneur

Question 34

Which is a private good offered by an interest group to entice individuals to support the group?

A) selective incentive
B) public good
C) latent interest
D) group interest
E) individual utility

Question 35

A libertarian group wants to lobby Congress for legislation to reduce the minimum wage, arguing that it will create more jobs. Realizing that it lacks the resources to successfully form a lobbying organization, this group gets in touch with a big-box chain of stores, which stands to benefit from being able to offer lower wages to its employees and is therefore willing to bankroll the group's lobbying efforts. This group has solved its problem by relying on ________.

A) selective incentives
B) public goods
C) by-products
D) special donors
E) insider lobbying

Question 36

National Public Radio often provides tote bags to members who contribute to its yearly fund-raising drive. These tote bags are an example of ____________.

A) by-products
B) latent gifts
C) selective incentives
D) special donors
E) entrepreneurs

Question 37

Senator Bennett received a hefty donation from a pro-environmental lobbying group. He later voted in favor of a controversial pro-environmental bill. A pro-business group who opposed the bill claimed the senator's vote had been "bought." What factors make it difficult to determine the importance of the donation in the senator's decision to support the bill?

A) the senator's personal beliefs and policy preferences
B) the opinion of the senator's constituents
C) pressure from party leaders
D) pressure from other senators
E) All of these are correct.

Question 38

Which are activities by interest group leaders that seek to mobilize constituents and others outside the policy-making process to pressure policy makers?

A) outside lobbying
B) inside lobbying
C) pandering
D) argumentation
E) profiling

Question 39

Tiffany supports the policy objectives of the National Rifle Association, but she has not actually joined the organization because she knows that her small membership fee will not make much of a difference in whether the organization succeeds or fails in its mission. Tiffany's thinking is indicative of a/an ________.

A) coordination problem
B) prisoner's dilemma
C) principal-agent problem
D) unstable coalition
E) collective action problem

Question 40

A pharmaceutical company wants to convince the Food and Drug Administration, a federal bureaucratic agency, to relax regulations governing the amount of time it takes to move a drug through clinical trials. The company is most likely to succeed if it uses ________ lobbying tactics to influence ________ because ________.

A) outside; the courts; justices are often heavily influenced by the content of amicus curiae briefs
B) outside; bureaucrats; individuals working for bureaucracies can be influenced by their membership in interest groups
C) inside; Congress; congressional hearings can draw attention to the issue and put it on legislative agendas
D) inside; the president; he or she can change the institutional rules of any executive office agency
E) inside; bureaucrats; interest groups often already have ongoing cooperative relationships with agencies

Question 41

A congresswoman is running for reelection to a fifth term in a district with an automobile manufacturing plant that employs many of her constituents. An environmental group, which advocates for stricter emissions standards that would be expensive for the manufacturing plant to implement, is considering giving her a donation. Why might it decide to donate to this campaign?

A) This situation is a prisoner's dilemma, and the congresswoman is more likely to grant evenhanded access to environmentalists and manufacturers if both donate.
B) This situation is a prisoner's dilemma, and the congresswoman will refuse to hear any arguments from environmentalists unless they donate.
C) This situation is an opportunity for investment, since the congresswoman is just starting her career and is likely to favor groups who support her at this point.
D) This situation is a coordination problem, and the environmental group will only gain any benefit from its contribution if it works with other environmental groups.
E) This situation is a coordination problem, and the environmental group will only gain any benefit from its contribution if it works with advocates for the manufacturing plant.

Question 42

Why do Washington lobbyists often complain about having to attend so many fund-raisers?

A) The money organizations and politicians spend on fund-raising often exceeds the amount they can raise.
B) They do not believe their individual contributions will make much difference in political outcomes.
C) Socializing together makes politicians and lobbyists more corrupt.
D) The events are boring and overpriced.
E) Attending so many fund-raisers takes away from time that could be spent on advocacy efforts.

Question 43

Compare and contrast insider and outsider lobbying techniques. How do these different strategies aim to influence policy makers? How are they alike? How are they different? In your opinion, which set of tactics is most likely to be successful in influencing the policy-making process?

Question 44

Finding that local education policy is shaped by interactions between elected school board officials and representatives of teachers' unions, parents' organizations, and the business community would be most consistent with the theory of ________.

A) pluralism
B) democratism
C) institutionalism
D) populism
E) elitism

Question 45

Which term refers to the political pressure faced by an interest group to provide campaign contributions to an elected official to ensure that he or she continues to support the group's positions in the policy-making process?

A) holdup
B) collective action problem incentives
C) special donations
D) insider lobbying
E) prisoner's dilemma

Question 46

Compare and contrast American-style pluralism with European-style corporatism. How does each system deal with the problem of obtaining inputs from the public into the policy-making process? What are the benefits of each approach to governance? What are the costs to each system?

Question 47

Interest groups and social movements are ________ of public opinion, because ________.

A) representative; most people share some interests with social movements
B) representative; most people make their voices heard in some social movement organization
C) representative; social movement organizations represent a random sample of the population
D) not representative; politicians hear from the best organized, rather than most representative, groups
E) not representative; very few interest groups or social movements are widespread

Question 48

What was the outcome of the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. FEC?

A) It removed caps on individual campaign contributions, permitting individuals to make unlimited donations to their preferred candidates.
B) It removed caps on corporate campaign contributions, permitting corporations to make unlimited donations to their preferred candidates.
C) Interest groups, individuals, and corporations are now permitted to make unlimited contributions to advocacy groups through Super PACs.
D) Interest groups can now form both PACs and Super PACs, the latter of which allows them to coordinate directly with candidates.
E) Interest groups, individuals, and corporations are now permitted to make unlimited contributions to candidates and parties.

Question 49

How do campaign contributions differ from other types of collective action problems?

A) Candidates receive contributions from many different groups and individuals, so they are likely to give the most access to their most consistent donors.
B) Candidates pay attention to who donates and who does not, so the contribution may still be useful for the candidates.
C) Candidates receive contributions from many different groups and individuals, so they are likely to give the most access to their biggest donors.
D) Candidates pay attention to who donates and who does not, so the contribution may still be effective for the donors.
E) Candidates receive contributions from only a few groups and individuals, so donors who give the maximum are still likely to benefit.

Question 50

Which is a system of governance in which large numbers of diverse interest groups are engaged in the policy-making process?

A) colonialism
B) pluralism
C) corporatism
D) populism
E) coalitionism

Question 51

Some critics argue that Robert Dahl's model of pluralism, which is based on interest groups' influence on proposed legislation, does not account for ________.

A) the role of interest groups that represent individuals from multiple social classes
B) the role of public interest groups that organize around ideology instead of class
C) congressional discretion in agenda setting
D) wealthy interest groups' ability to keep issues off the agenda altogether
E) interest group coalitions that force individuals to compromise their personal preferences

Question 52

A public interest group representing underserved children is lobbying against a "three strikes" law that would send students to prison after three instances of in-school disciplinary infractions. If it wants to succeed, it is LEAST likely to ________ in order to influence ________ because ________.

A) organize a letter-writing campaign; the president; he or she is unlikely to be persuaded by pressure from constituents and interest groups
B) hold a fund-raiser; Congress; public interest groups have little financial sway with congressmen and congresswomen
C) pay a lobbyist; Congress; lobbyists often have insider access to congressmen and congresswomen and may be able to keep the bill from coming up for a vote
D) file a lawsuit; the courts; this tactic is rarely used on behalf of disadvantaged populations and its outcome may be unpredictable
E) file an amicus brief; the courts; the Supreme Court's primary job is to protect individual rights, like those of children, and they are more likely to hear a case if groups file amicus briefs

Question 53

Compared to parliamentary democracies, the American government offers ________ points of access because ________.

A) fewer; the U.S. Congress has more control over the flow of legislation
B) more; parliamentary democracies do not offer groups recourse to the courts
C) more; prime ministers are more able to mobilize their parties than presidents
D) more; separation of powers gives interest groups more potential targets for action
E) fewer; members of parliamentary cabinets tend to belong to the same party and share interests

Question 54

When policy makers are "cross-pressured" by various interest groups, research indicates that policy makers tend to _______________.

A) support the preferences of the group closest to their policy preferences
B) support the preferences of the president or the major party leaders
C) support the groups who have supported them for the longest period of time
D) favor the preferences of their constituents or party leaders
E) favor the preferences of the group who donates larger sums of money

Question 55

A congresswoman with limited time can only take a meeting with one group. She is most likely to meet with the group that ________.

A) represents her constituents and has strong ideological views
B) has strong ideological views and has made campaign contributions
C) has made campaign contributions and represents her constituents
D) has made campaign contributions and has skilled lobbyists
E) has skilled lobbyists and represents her constituents

Question 56

In Germany, the leaders of some labor unions and workers' rights organizations are designated by the government as official representatives of workers. Government officials meet exclusively with these representatives to discuss and formulate policies related to wages, benefits, and working conditions. This arrangement is indicative of ________.

A) colonialism
B) pluralism
C) corporatism
D) populism
E) coalitionism

Question 57

Explain how the collective action problem relates to the organization of interest groups and social movements. How are some groups able to overcome this barrier to collective action?

Question 58

Instead of organizing an outside lobbying campaign, the pro-zinc public interest group Common Cents decides to focus on giving campaign contributions to legislators whose support they want. After giving maximum donations to the congressional delegation from another state, those legislators change their minds about a currency reform bill and vote to keep the penny, which is made from zinc. A competing interest group investigates and proves in court that these legislators only changed their votes because of the financial incentives provided by Common Cents. Common Cents's campaign contributions are an example of ________.

A) special incentives
B) selective incentives
C) insider lobbying
D) bribes
E) a holdup

Question 59

A California congresswoman is facing reelection in a tight campaign. Although she has been too socially conservative for many of her constituents, she has been a strong advocate for California's large agricultural industry. To bolster her campaign's budget, she holds a fund-raiser and invites the heads of a number of agricultural businesses and interest groups, asking them to "Save the Date for a Celebration of California Agriculture: Never Stronger!" This is an example of a/an ________.

A) special donation
B) holdup
C) selective incentive
D) insider dilemma
E) bribe

Question 60

Why do members of Congress and their staffers sometimes rely on interest groups to act as proxy staffers?

A) Congressmen and congresswomen tend to share goals with the interest groups with which they work, and interest groups can provide expertise useful in the legislative drafting process.
B) Congressional offices are often understaffed and know that experts from interest groups cannot afford to offer biased information to legislators.
C) Congressional offices are more likely to grant access to groups with clear ideologies than constituent groups.
D) When congressmen and congresswomen are subjected to "cross pressure" from interest groups and constituents, they tend to side with interest groups.
E) When congressmen and congresswomen are subjected to "cross pressure" from interest groups and constituents, they tend to side with their constituents' public opinion.

Question 61

Why is it difficult to make strong conclusions about the relationship between interest groups' financial contributions to political candidates and the voting behavior of those candidates once in office? What explains interest groups' continued use of campaign contributions despite the lack of evidence of their effectiveness in changing policy makers' behaviors?

Question 62

A critic of American pluralism once wrote, "The flaw in the pluralist heaven is that the heavenly chorus sings with a strong upper-class accent." Explain this critique of pluralism. In this critical view, what is problematic about the role of interest groups in making public policy in the United States? How does this problem arise? What can be done about it?