Deck 10: Organized Interests

Question 1

Texas's Office of State-Federal Relations is an example of which type of organized interest?

A) single-issue
B) intergovernmental
C) labor union
D) trade association
E) professional association

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Contributing funds to candidates through a political action committee (PAC) is an example of which of the type of organized interest?

A) lobbying
B) electioneering
C) caucusing
D) propagandizing

Answer 2

B

Question 3

In Texas law, ______ is the method used by organized interests to try to shape public policy by influencing those elected or appointed to office, by telephone, telegraph, or letters.

A) litigation
B) campaigning
C) electioneering
D) lobbying
E) monitoring

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Economic interest groups in Texas include ______.

A) intergovernmental lobbying groups
B) pro-gun-control groups
C) public interest groups
D) the Republican Party of Texas
E) professional groups such as the Texas State Teachers Association

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a factor that plays into the decision to join an interest group?

A) social interactions that individuals enjoy from working together for a common cause
B) benefits that arise from taking action to express one's views
C) monetary benefits obtained by joining
D) the ability to be elected as a precinct chair for that interest group
E) a feeling of purpose that membership brings

Question 6

The AFL-CIO is an example of a ______.

A) trade association
B) professional association
C) corporate lobby
D) labor union

Question 7

The phenomenon of legislators and members of the executive branch moving easily from government office to lucrative positions with lobbying firms is called ______.

A) iron triangles
B) the revolving door
C) white primaries
D) agency capture
E) executive delegation

Question 8

Which of the following describes trade associations?

A) organizations that pursue noneconomic policies on behalf of the general populace
B) organizations of similar businesses working together to advance shared goals
C) organizations that represent the needs of professionals not represented by unions
D) organizations that lobby between different levels of government
E) any individual business engaged in lobbying

Question 9

The idea that a greater number of organized interests mean wider participation and a healthier democracy is called ______.

A) the pluralist perspective
B) hyperpluralism
C) political justification
D) the responsible party model
E) benevolent plutocracy

Question 10

The idea that a greater number of narrow interests make it difficult to formulate public policy that will serve the broader public interest is called ______.

A) the pluralist perspective
B) hyperpluralism
C) political representation
D) iron triangles
E) interest specificity

Question 11

Which of the following describes public interest groups?

A) organizations that pursue noneconomic policies on behalf of the general populace
B) organizations that represent the interests of working people seeking better pay and better working conditions
C) organizations that represent the needs of professionals not represented by unions
D) organizations that lobby between different levels of government
E) any individual business engaged in lobbying

Question 12

Organized interests can best overcome the free-rider problem to join by providing ______.

A) collective goods that everyone can enjoy
B) collective goods that only group members can enjoy
C) selective incentives that everyone can enjoy
D) selective incentives that only group members can enjoy
E) none of these

Question 13

Why are state and federal laws that restrict organized interests' contributions to campaigns quite limited in their effectiveness in keeping interest group money out of elections?

A) Organized interests largely ignore such laws.
B) Groups can spend unlimited amounts of money if there is no coordination with a candidate.
C) Laws do not empower any entity to prosecute offenders of such laws.
D) Campaigns are not required to report the source of their contributions.
E) The penalties for violating such laws do not deter illegal activity.

Question 14

Which of the following is true about Texas law on lobbyists and political contributions to legislators?

A) Restrictions on contributions to Texas legislators are enforced by the federal government.
B) There are no restrictions so long as the contributor registers with the state government.
C) Contributions are prohibited during the legislative session.
D) Lobbyists must report their exact earnings for their lobbying efforts to the state.
E) Lobbyists are permitted to represent only one organized interest per calendar year.

Question 15

A(n) ______ benefit for joining a group is the good feelings one enjoys from voicing his or her support for a worthy cause.

A) collective
B) selective
C) material
D) solidary
E) expressive

Question 16

Which of the following is a defining feature of an "Astroturf" movement?

A) It is propelled primarily by political elites.
B) The movement will reflect public opinion quite accurately.
C) The movement occurs largely without the necessity of funding.
D) It involves the efforts primarily of average citizens.
E) The movement has little interest in influencing elected officials.

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT a way in which organized interests contribute to the political process?

A) by providing representation for groups to complement the geographic representation provided by elected officials
B) by bringing attention to issues and educating citizens about what their government is doing
C) by serving as watchdogs to help uncover bureaucratic misbehavior
D) by nominating candidates for office and running the election process

Question 18

Which of the following describes labor unions?

A) organizations that represent the interests of working people seeking better pay and better working conditions
B) organizations of similar businesses working together to advance shared goals
C) organizations that represent the needs of professionals not represented by unions
D) organizations that lobby between different levels of government
E) any individual business engaged in lobbying

Question 19

Organized interests ______.

A) are hindered by the part-time nature of the Texas Legislature
C) are simply a different name for interest groups
D) are unable to represent voters' wishes
E) focus centrally on raising money for candidates

Question 20

______ refers to a group's taking its case to court, filing a lawsuit because it believes the rights of its members have been violated.

A) Litigation
B) Campaigning
C) Electioneering
D) Lobbying
E) Monitoring

Question 21

PAC stands for ______.

A) political action committee
B) partisan assessment committee
C) political analysis corporation
D) partisan analysis committee

Question 22

The Texas Hospitality Association is an example of a(an) ______.

A) labor union
B) intergovernmental agency
C) professional association
D) trade association

Question 23

Grassroots lobbying focuses on ______.

A) direct contact with legislators
B) influencing public opinion
C) litigation
D) direct contact with PACs

Question 24

Trade associations represent ______.

A) businesses within the same industry
B) trade workers like plumbers
C) contract negotiation firms
D) most lawyers

Question 25

Money spent by a nonprofit to support a candidate that does not have to be reported is called ______.

A) shadow money
B) invisible money
C) dark money
D) hard money

Question 26

The Back to Basics full-page ad calling Rick Perry a ______ backfired with the public.

A) revolutionary
B) patriot
C) coward
D) idiot

Question 27

Organizations that pursue noneconomic policies on behalf of the citizens of Texas are known as ______.

A) labor unions
B) public interest groups
C) private interest groups
D) social interest groups

Question 28

Lobbying is a technique designed to ______.

A) influence the shape and passage of law
B) influence which candidates win office
C) shape public opinion
D) influence PACs

Question 29

Independent political expenditures have been ______.

A) protected by the courts
B) criticized by the courts
C) struck down by the courts
D) ignored by the courts

Question 30

Electioneering is a technique used to ______.

A) influence political appointees
B) influence which candidates win office
C) influence public opinion on an issue
D) raise money for lobbying

Question 31

Direct contact with legislatures and executive branch employees for the purpose of influencing policy is called ______.

A) electioneering
B) franking
C) lobbying
D) pressuring

Question 32

The U.S. Supreme Court argued that this amendment prohibited them from restricting independent political expenditures.

A) Second
B) Third
C) First
D) Fourteenth

Question 33

Today, LULAC has more than ______ local chapters.

A) 100
B) 900
C) 20
D) 12,000

Question 34

Public interest groups support ______.

A) socialist policies
B) noneconomic policies
C) economic policies
D) economic downsizing

Question 35

Professional associations address the needs of ______.

A) professionals not represented by unions
B) trade workers like plumbers
C) contract negotiation firms
D) most lawyers

Question 36

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) was founded in ______.

A) 1949
B) 1979
C) 1929
D) 1989

Question 37

The most visible and perhaps the most important way organized interests influence elections is through ______.

A) advertising
B) lobbying
C) spending
D) labor unions

Question 38

Which of these techniques is used to influence which candidates win office?

A) lobbying
B) posting
C) franking
D) electioneering

Question 39

Which organization is responsible for overseeing lobbying in the state of Texas?

A) the Texas Ethics Commission
B) the Texas House of Representatives
C) the secretary of state's office
D) the comptroller's office

Question 40

A group that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money is called a ______.

A) dark group
B) shadow group
C) PAC
D) super PAC

Question 41

The Texas Ethics Commission oversees lobbying in the state of Texas.

Question 42

There is no free-rider problem in Texas politics because of low support for unions.

Question 43

Trade associations are the same as labor unions in the state of Texas.

Question 44

LULAC filed lawsuits to protect the voting rights of Hispanics.

Question 45

What is the free-rider problem that organized interests face, and how can it be overcome?

Question 46

What is a political action committee?

Question 47

What is grasstop lobbying?

Question 48

The fundraising arms of interest groups that have been organized to meet the requirements of state and federal campaign finance laws are called political action committees.

Question 49

The theory that groups arise from an increasingly complex society to voice their concerns is called disturbance theory.

Question 50

Single-issue interest groups are a type of public interest group.

Question 51

How are the members of the Texas Ethics Commission chosen? What relationship does the commission have with interest groups?

Question 52

The ______ perspective supports the idea that citizens participating through interest groups is positive.

A) hyperpluralist
B) hypopluralist
C) multicultural
D) pluralist