Deck 6: Interest Groups

Question 1

The _____ guarantees the right of the people "to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

A) First Amendment
B) Fifth Amendment
C) Seventh Amendment
D) Fourteenth Amendment
E) Nineteenth Amendment

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Recently, Shelly joined the Comato Group, an interest group that advocates the consumption of organic food and speaks against the use of chemicals in farming. Shelly claims that the benefits offered by the group to its members are what motivated her to join the group. The member benefits include a free supply of ingredients for organic farming and discounts on organic food products. What type of incentive motivated Shelly to join The Comato Group?

A) Purposive incentive
B) Solidary incentive
C) Intangible incentive
D) Material incentive
E) Immaterial incentive

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The right to _____ is as important and fundamental to the American democracy as the other First Amendment rights.

A) petition the government
B) keepand bear arms
C) a speedy trial
D) protection from unreasonable searches and seizures
E) protection from actions by state governments

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following is a purpose of interest groups in American politics?

A) They help bridge the gap between citizens and government.
B) They help conduct campaigns for candidates of primary elections.
C) They restrict citizens from taking action on certain issues.
D) They dictate the duties of government officials.
E) They keep the public from interfering in government affairs.

Question 5

Elisa, a forty-year-old woman, has been teaching literature in a school for the past 10 years. She has a passion for reading and writing books. She has recently joined a book club as she gets to read a wide variety of books as well as discuss some of her books with the members of the group. The purpose of the group is to help people who love literature get together and share their views. They also try to procure government funds to build libraries that are accessible to the underprivileged. Since Elisa feels a sense of belonging with the group, a _____ most likely motivated Elisa to join the book club.

A) material incentive
B) self-centered incentive
C) solidary incentive
D) monetary incentive
E) tangible incentive

Question 6

Interest groups may form-and existing groups may become more politically active-when:

A) the number of privately owned companies increases.
B) the government expands its scope of activities.
C) the government fails and there is anarchy.
D) the president declares an emergency.
E) the private sector increases its scope of activities.

Question 7

A group founded with little or no desire to influence the government can become an interest group if:

A) its total membership count exceeds fifty.
B) it invites new members to join the group based on their interests.
C) it implements new norms and rules of conduct.
D) its members decide that the government's policies are important to them.
E) its members wish to entertain and educate themselves about a particular issue.

Question 8

Some Americans consider _____ to be a natural consequence of democracy that play an important role in the American system of government.

A) golden parachutes
B) unicameral legislatures
C) divine rights
D) interest groups
E) embargos

Question 9

Which of the following is true of a purposive incentive?

A) It is the satisfaction gained from being in a group that stands for what a person believes in.
B) It is the satisfaction gained from feeling a sense of belonging to a group.
C) It is the satisfaction gained from receiving benefits such as discounts for being a part of a group.
D) It is the satisfaction gained from making friends.
E) It is the satisfaction gained from being able to dictate the actions of the members of a group.

Question 10

Which of the following is true of the right to petition the government?

A) It prohibits citizens from suing the government.
B) It is guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.
C) It is a right limited to the members of Congress.
D) It forbids citizens from demanding redress of grievances.
E) It allows citizens and groups of citizens to lobby members of Congress.

Question 11

Which of the following is an example of a private good?

A) Clean air
B) National defense
C) A car
D) A lighthouse
E) Software development

Question 12

Brandon is a member of a group that plans to plant 10,000 trees throughout the city within a year. The group is trying to procure government funds to build parks around the city as well. Since Brandon is an environmentalist, he feels a deep sense of satisfaction while planning the locations for planting trees, organizing events for raising the necessary funds, and helping the group gather support from the other people in the city. He feels that he will be able to make a tremendous contribution to the environment by being a member of the group. Which of the following types of incentives most likely motivated Brandon to join the group?

A) A material incentive
B) A purposive incentive
C) A solidary incentive
D) A monetary incentive
E) A tangible incentive

Question 13

A group becomes an interest group when it:

A) seeks to entertain its members with no broader purpose.
B) facilitates worshipand community.
C) seeks to affect practices of the government.
D) does not have explicit political aims.
E) has a tax-exempt status.

Question 14

The National Rifle Association is an example of a(n) _____.

A) executive department
B) regulatory agency
C) interest group
D) statutory corporation
E) independent agency

Question 15

Which of the following is true of tax breaks for special interest?

A) They require the government to spend more on interest groups than subsidies.
B) Demanding tax breaks is becoming an increasingly unpopular objective of interest groups.
C) Tax breaks for a special interest can be easier to obtain than subsidies.
D) They do not look like government spending.
E) Tax breaks are also referred to as subsidies.

Question 16

The freedom to form interest groups and to lobby the government is protected by _____.

A) the Twenty-fourth Amendment
B) Magna Carta
C) the Bill of Rights
D) the Massachusetts Body of Liberties
E) the Seventeenth Amendment

Question 17

If the House of Representatives passes a bill opposed by an interest group, which of the following is the immediate next step that can be taken by the group before it is signed by the president?

A) It can lobby trial court judges to oppose the bill.
B) It can shift its lobbying efforts to the Supreme Court.
C) It can lobby the executive agency that implements laws.
D) It can file a brief as an amicus curiae .
E) It can shift its lobbying efforts to the Senate.

Question 18

Which of the following is true of the entrepreneurial theory?

A) This line of thought focuses on the importance of the leaders who establish an organization.
B) This line of thought focuses on the ideologies of an organization.
C) This line of thought focuses on the people who are affected by an organization.
D) This line of thought focuses on the importance of funds necessary to run an organization.
E) This line of thought focuses on the problem of free riders who benefit from an organization.

Question 19

Which of the following is true of interest groups?

A) They are usually disorganized and chaotic.
B) They consist of a group of people sharing diverse interests.
C) Their influence on the government is limited to the use of direct methods.
D) They pursue their goals in every branch of government.
E) Their influence on the government is limited to the use of indirect methods.

Question 20

Live and Teach Better is an interest group that has been lobbying members of Congress to improve the health benefits of teachers in Wisconsin. Only about 20 percent of the total number of teachers in Wisconsin are members of the groupand contribute to it. Recently, it was successful in getting better health benefits for teachers throughout the city. Even though most of the teachers in the city did not make an effort to help the members of the interest group, they were able to enjoy the improved health benefit plans. In this scenario, the members of the interest group is faced with the issue known as the _____.

A) dispersed cost problem
B) union decline problem
C) free rider problem
D) independent expenditure problem
E) free access problem

Question 21

Which of the following statements is true of right-to-work laws?

A) These laws have helped reduce the free rider problem for unions.
B) These laws ban foreign immigrants from being promoted to high managerial positions in a government organization.
C) These laws are followed by 45 states in the United States.
D) These laws ban unions from collecting dues from workers whom they represent but who have not joined the union.
E) These laws have made it compulsory for workers over the age of 35 to join unions.

Question 22

Which of the following is one of the two umbrella organizations that include small and large corporations and businesses in the United States?

A) The Young Entrepreneur Council
B) The Consumers Cooperative Services
C) The National Council of Agricultural Employees
D) The National Association of Manufacturers
E) The Produce Marketing Association

Question 23

Which of the following types of interest groups has aims other than benefiting narrow economic interests?

A) A labor interest group
B) A professional interest group
C) A business interest group
D) An agricultural interest group
E) A public-interest group

Question 24

_____ deal with problems such as substandard housing, discrimination in the granting of credit, and business inaction on complaints of buyers.

A) Identity interest groups
B) Consumer interest groups
C) Professional interest groups
D) Business interest groups
E) Labor interest groups

Question 25

In the context of American democracy, which of the following is true of majoritarianism?

A) It is a belief that public policy should be in accordance with the opinion of the most powerful in the nation.
B) It is popular but political scientists find it to be a startlingly poor description of how politics actually works.
C) It is believed to contain elements of truth and practicality.
D) It contends that the government is controlled by one or more elite groups.
E) It supports the elite theory that explains how politics works.

Question 26

Unlike interest groups, political parties:

A) often serve the role of policy specialists.
B) are more tightly organized.
C) are policy generalists.
D) are narrow-based organizations.
E) have only a handful of key policies to promote.

Question 27

Traditionally, business interest groups have been viewed as staunch supporters of the _____.

A) Federalist Party
B) Democratic Party
C) Communist Party
D) Republican Party
E) Egalitarian Party

Question 28

Which of the following is the largest and most effective broad-based agricultural interest group?

A) The American Farm Bureau Federation
B) The National Association of Social Workers
C) Common Cause
D) Consumers Union
E) The National Grange

Question 29

Ellaine is a lesbian and is a member of Equal Life, an interest group. The group organizes protests and lobbies Congress for strict actions against people who harass members of the LGBT community. It has gathered many supporters over the years and plans to continue its efforts for the betterment of the community. In this context, Ellaine is a member of a(n) _____.

A) identity interest group
B) consumer interest group
C) professional interest group
D) business interest group
E) environmental interest group

Question 30

Which of the following is an example of an ideological interest group?

A) The National Education Association
B) The Club for Growth
C) The National Grange
D) The Farm Bureau
E) The American Medical Association

Question 31

Which of the following statements is true of trade organizations?

A) They are required to fund the Chamber of Commerce.
B) They usually support policies that benefit specific industries.
C) They are formed with the primary goal of working for the public good.
D) They primarily represent the people over the age of sixteen who are working.
E) They are formed with the main purpose of protecting consumer rights.

Question 32

Which of the following is an example of a professional interest group?

A) The American Political Science Association
B) The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
C) The National Urban League
D) The Tea Party movement
E) The National Wildlife Federation

Question 33

Which of the following is true of consumer interest groups?

A) They represent all trade organizations.
B) They are organized to protect the rights of buyers.
C) They are organized to work on behalf of agricultural interests.
D) They help protect the rights of private-sector workers.
E) They represent people who share the same race.

Question 34

Unlike private-sector unions, public-sector unions:

A) are composed of less than 10 percent of the total public-sector workers.
B) have seen a steady decline over the last several decades.
C) do not have the right to strike over wages and working conditions.
D) do not have the right to vote for their own bosses.
E) do not have any influence upon the government.

Question 35

In the context of public interests, which of the following statements is true?

A) A clear public interest does not exist.
B) The American Civil Liberties Union, a public-interest group, represents all American people.
C) All lobbying groups represent public interests.
D) Public-interest groups do not include environmental groups.
E) All political parties represent public interests.

Question 36

Which of the following is true of pluralists?

A) They contend that conflicts among interest groups can only divide a nation into hostile camps.
B) They contend that no one interest group can dominate the political process.
C) They state that politics is the result of collaboration of interest groups and not competition among them.
D) They contend that the influence of interest groups on government is undemocratic.
E) They state that the influence of interest groups on government is undemocratic .

Question 37

Which of the following statements is true of labor unions?

A) In the private sector, it is compulsory for workers to join unions.
B) It is much easier to form and maintain unions in the United States than in most other industrial nations.
C) Most business owners in the United States make enormous efforts to ensure that their own businesses are unionized.
D) Today, members of organized labor make up more than 30 percent of all wage and salary workers.
E) The political power of labor unions has waned over the last several decades.

Question 38

Which of the following is an example of a public-interest group?

A) The National Association of Manufacturers
B) The American Federation of Labor
C) The American Medical Association
D) The American Civil Liberties Union
E) The American Farm Bureau Federation

Question 39

_____ maintain that the influence of interest groups on government is not undemocratic because individual interests are indirectly represented in the policymaking process through these groups.

A) Marxists
B) Textualists
C) Naturalists
D) Pluralists
E) Secularists

Question 40

Daniel is a member of Tree for Life, a public-interest group that helps protect forests throughout the United States. It holds many demonstrations on the importance of forests and has representatives who lobby public officials for laws that impose strict restrictions on the rate of deforestation. In this scenario, Daniel is a member of a(n) _____.

A) identity interest group
B) ideological interest group
C) professional interest group
D) business interest group
E) labor interest group

Question 41

Since the 1970s, corporations, labor unions, and special interest groups have been allowed to raise funds and make campaign contributions through _____.

A) political action committees
B) Congress members
C) Congress members
D) senate committees
E) Advertising Standards Authorities

Question 42

The _____ banned unlimited donations to campaigns and political parties, called soft money.

A) Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003
B) Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002
C) Trade Act of 2002
D) Foreign Investment and National Security Act of 2007
E) Economic Stimulus Act of 2008

Question 43

Under the 1946 Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act, _____.

A) lobbying was prohibited
B) bundled campaign contributions were banned
C) only those lobbyists who sought to influence federal legislation directly were covered
D) only persons whose lobbying was directed at agencies in the executive branch were required to register as lobbyists and file quarterly reports
E) members of Congress were prohibited from accepting gifts or travel paid for by lobbyists

Question 44

_____ is an indirect technique used by interest groups to influence government policy.

A) Lobbying
B) Providing election support
C) Forming political action committees
D) Mobilizing constituents
E) Participating in elections

Question 45

All lobbying groups, organizations, and other political entities represent special interests.

Question 46

Interest groups often provide public officials with specialized and detailed information that might be difficult to obtain otherwise.

Question 47

Which of the following is true of interest group representatives or lobbyists?

A) Their movement between their groups' headquarters and congressional offices is restricted.
B) They are frequently asked to testify before congressional committees on the effect or potential effect of particular legislation.
C) They are seldom consulted when Congress formulates new regulations.
D) Since interest groups are a temporary feature of American government, lobbying has not yet developed into a profession.
E) A professional lobbyist can represent only a single interest group throughout his or her career.

Question 48

If a group stands for something that an individual believes is very important, he or she can gain considerable satisfaction in taking action from within that group. Such satisfaction is referred to as a solidary incentive.

Question 49

A major complaint by critics of interest groups is that the benefits these groups obtain are not in the general public interest. Which of the following is a reason for this criticism?

A) They allow only wealthy and influential people to join their groups.
B) There is a lack of funds for the development of interest groups.
C) They cannot directly influence public policy.
D) They are considered undemocratic by political scientists.
E) There is an enthusiasm gap between supporters and opponents of any given subsidy.

Question 50

One version of elite theory posits that elites strive for communal harmony and do not compete for power .

Question 51

In March 2010, the _____ banned earmarks that benefit profit-making corporations.

A) Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
B) Republican-led House Appropriations Committee
C) Honest Leadershipand Open Government Act
D) Lobbying Disclosure Act
E) Democratic National Committee

Question 52

Indirect techniques of influencing government policy can be particularly effective because:

A) they provide a large amount of election support to public officials.
B) they require considerably less effort from interest groups than direct methods.
C) public officials are often more impressed by contacts from voters than from lobbyists.
D) they are better planned than direct lobbying techniques.
E) lobbyists demand more benefits than common voters.

Question 53

Which of the following is true of the provisions under the Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act of 1946?

A) Every registered lobbyist had to make quarterly reports on his or her activities.
B) Anyone violating the Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act could be imprisoned for up to six years.
C) No person or organization was allowed to receive money to influence legislation.
D) Any group or person seeking to influence legislation indirectly was needed to register with the government.
E) Anyone violating the Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act could be fined a maximum amount of $1000.

Question 54

_____ are special provisions benefitting a lawmaker's constituents, also known as "pork barrel legislation."

A) Profits
B) Incentives
C) Perks
D) Wages
E) Earmarks

Question 55

Both the number of PACs (political action committees) and the amount of money PACs spend on elections have declined at an alarming rate in recent years.

Question 56

Lobbying is best defined as:

A) the attempts to shape public opinion through online campaigns.
B) the indirect techniques used by government officials to gain the confidence of interest groups.
C) the direct attempts by individuals or organizations to influence administrative decisions of government.
D) the peaceful demonstrations that are designed to make a statement about a group's interests.
E) the evaluation of performance of legislators based on how often they have voted with an interest group's position on particular issues.

Question 57

The _____ syndrome refers to the frequent transition of those who leave positions with the federal government to become lobbyists or consultants for the private-interest groups they helped to regulate.

A) "democratic doorway"
B) "revolving door"
C) "political portal"
D) "glass ceiling"
E) "political breach"

Question 58

The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995:

A) restricted lobbyists from engaging in direct lobbying.
B) exempted all lobbyists from registering with the clerk of the House.
C) exempted lobbyists from disclosing the name of the agency or chamber of Congress they contacted.
D) required lobbyists to report their clients.
E) increased the tax imposed on lobbyists.

Question 59

In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission , the Court ruled that political action committees could accept unlimited contributions for _____.

A) making dispersed costs
B) providing concentrated benefits
C) making bundled expenditures
D) making independent expenditures
E) granting tax-exempt status

Question 60

Which of the following is true of American interest groups?

A) Interest groups are considered undemocratic.
B) Interest groups have become a permanent part of American government.
C) Each interest group can only be represented by a single lobbyist throughout its existence.
D) All the major interest groups have headquarters in Los Angeles.
E) Interest group representatives are seldom consulted when Congress drafts new legislation.

Question 61

Discuss lobbying as a direct method of influencing government policy.

Question 62

In March 2010, the Republican-led House Appropriations Committee banned earmarks that benefit _________.

A) civil society organizations
B) profit-making corporations
C) nonbusiness entities
D) nonprofit organizations

Question 63

Describe 527 and 501(C) 4 organizations.

Question 64

Discuss the difference between interest groups and political parties.

Question 65

_________ is the apt label that has been given to campaigns that masquerade as grassroots mobilizations, but are not.

A) Demonstrating
B) Astroturf lobbying
C) Stare decisis
D) Amicus curiae briefing

Question 66

_________ contends that, as a practical matter, the government is controlled by one or more exclusive groups, typically drawn from the wealthiest members of society.

A) Disturbance theory
B) Elite theory
C) Naturalist theory
D) Entrepreneurial theory

Question 67

According to a lobbying reform effort undertaken by the Democratic majority in the
Senate and House of Representatives in 2006, lobbyists were required to report _________ contributions that they arranged from a variety of sources.

A) school voucher
B) block grant
C) categorical grant
D) bundled campaign

Question 68

_________ are expenditures that are not coordinated with a candidate's campaign or a political party.

A) Bundled expenditures
B) Dispersed costs
C) Concentrated costs
D) Independent expenditures

Question 69

Discuss the major provisions of the Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act of 1946 and the reasons why it failed to regulate lobbying to a great degree.

Question 70

The _________ is a system by which a particular interest group evaluates the performance of legislators based on how often the legislators have voted with the group's position on particular issues.

A) grassroot system
B) rating system
C) shaping system
D) mobilizing system

Question 71

Lobbying, collective bargaining by labor unions, and other forms of representation are examples of _________.

A) picket-fence federalism
B) fiscal federalism
C) public goods
D) private goods

Question 72

The _________ included provisions requiring the disclosure of lawmakers' requests for earmarks in legislation.

A) Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act of 1946
B) Honest Leadershipand Open Government Act of 2007
C) Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002
D) Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995

Question 73

_________ for a special interest can be easier to obtain than subsidies because the former do not look like government spending.

A) Tax breaks
B) Categorical grants
C) Block grants
D) Perverse incentives

Question 74

When the government classifies interest groups as _________, it confers on them tax-exempt status.

A) trade organizations
B) nonprofit organizations
C) social groups
D) sole proprietorships

Question 75

Discuss the difference between public-sector unions and private-sector unions.