Deck 10: Interest Groups

Question 1

Which of the following statements best represents the hyperpluralist view?

A) All legitimate interests in the political system can get a hearing from government once they are organized.
B) Awesome power is held by the largest corporations.
C) There are too many special interest groups getting too much of what they want.
D) When one group throws its weight around too much, its opponents are likely to intensify their organization and thus restore balance to the system.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

According to James Madison,a __________ is a group of individuals concerned more with their self-interest than with the rights of individuals outside the group or with the needs of society as a whole.

A) faction
B) political party
C) single-issue organization
D) special interest group

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of a public interest lobby?

A) a consumer rights group
B) a trade association
C) a labor union
D) a group representing alpaca ranchers

Answer 3

A

Question 4

A(n)__________ refers to an organization of people with shared policy goals entering the policy process at several points to try to achieve those goals.

A) corporation
B) interest group
C) iron triangle
D) faction

Question 5

What is lobbying?

A) communication as a representative of a group with government officials to persuade them to support a particular policy
B) conducting surveys to gauge public opinion on a policy issue
C) convincing potential members to join an interest group by offering them material benefits
D) fundraising for political candidates and educating the public about the activities of government

Question 6

What is a trade association?

A) an organization that represents the federal government during the negotiation of international trade agreements
B) an organization that coordinates exchanges of information and resources among multiple interest groups
C) a type of labor union
D) an organization that represents businesses within a specific industry

Question 7

Which of the following is the main type of organization that lobbies on behalf of workers?

A) public interest group
B) trade association
C) union shop
D) labor union

Question 8

Which of the following raise money from individuals and then distribute it in the form of contributions to political candidates?

A) 527 organizations
B) coordinating committees
C) iron triangles
D) PACs

Question 9

When a case that an interest group is interested in comes before the Supreme Court,the group can __________.

A) meet with judges to explain the group's policy preferences
B) file an amicus curiae brief in support of one side of the case
C) appeal the case to a higher court
D) legally offer monetary incentives to the justices as long as the interest group is not a party to the case

Question 10

What is a public interest lobby?

A) a group that conducts research and analysis on public policy issues
B) a group that expresses its political views publicly
C) a group that works to gain benefits for society as a whole
D) a group that represents workers within a particular industry

Question 11

Elitists generally argue that __________.

A) all legitimate groups are able to affect public policy by one means or another
B) corporations hold tremendous power
C) the American political terrain is characterized by a dispersion of power
D) the government is run for the benefit of all the people

Question 12

What is a political action committee (PAC)?

A) an organization within a political party that coordinates campaign events
B) an organizations that focuses on grassroots lobbying
C) an organization that conducts voter registration drives
D) an organization that solicits campaign contributions from individuals and distributes them to political candidates

Question 13

Generally speaking,political action committee (PAC)contributions have __________.

A) become increasingly important in congressional elections
B) decreased for incumbents but increased for challengers and open seats
C) become less important in federal elections and more important in state elections
D) become less important

Question 14

In order to overcome the free-rider problem,many interest groups offer selective benefits.What are selective benefits?

A) the policies that interest groups help to bring about
B) gifts given to members of Congress in return for their support on legislation
C) benefits given only to group members
D) campaign contributions to elected officials

Question 15

Which of the following is hyperpluralists' main criticism of the interest group system?

A) Government is too deferential to interest groups' demands.
B) Interest groups are too weak to have much influence in government.
C) Elected officials are unresponsive to requests from interest groups.
D) Labor unions tend to dominate over other types of interest groups.

Question 16

What is an amicus curiae brief?

A) a written argument submitted to a court in support of one side of a case
B) an internal memo circulated among interest group leaders, briefing them on the details of a court case
C) a petition submitted to Congress in support of or opposition to a judicial nominee
D) a petition submitted to an executive branch agency, requesting a review of the agency's decision

Question 17

The __________ problem occurs when people fail to join a group because they can get the benefits the group offers without contributing to the group's efforts.

A) free-rider
B) pluralist
C) collective goods
D) group coordination

Question 18

What is an iron triangle?

A) a joining together of interest groups or individuals to achieve common goals
B) a form of subgovernment composed of leaders of interest groups, government agencies, and congressional committees
C) a nonprofit, tax-free policy planning organization that concentrates on policy development
D) an organization that solicits and receives campaign contributions from corporations, unions, trade associations, and other groups

Question 19

What do right-to-work laws uphold?

A) amicus curiae briefs
B) workers' rights to collective goods
C) the requirement that workers in a union shop must join the union
D) workers' freedom to decline the opportunity to join a union

Question 20

James Madison described how a government could be designed to control the effects of __________.

A) monarchies
B) factions
C) representative government
D) political parties

Question 21

What are political action committees (PACs)seeking when they give campaign contributions?

A) illegal kickbacks
B) public recognition for their contributions to society
C) access to the officeholder
D) publicity for their favorite charities and nonprofit organizations

Question 22

Why are campaign contributions so important for interest groups seeking to influence government?

A) Legislators only grant meetings with interest groups that offer campaign contributions.
B) Members of Congress are better listeners when hearing from interests that supported their campaign.
C) Groups can offer contributions in return for favorable votes on pending legislation.
D) Organizations seeking to offer input on a political party's platform are required to make campaign contributions.

Question 23

Which of the following argue that the formation of so many influential interest groups has made it increasingly difficult to accomplish major policy change in Washington?

A) elitists
B) Federalists
C) hyperpluralists
D) labor unions

Question 24

You are the leader of an environmental organization working to address the problem of climate change.What would be the most effective way to overcome the free-rider problem?

A) Describe the harmful consequences of global warming.
B) Explain how future generations will benefit from enacting climate change legislation.
C) Offer a T-shirt as an incentive to join the group.
D) Publicly criticize those who don't join the group.

Question 25

How did James Madison propose to overcome the problem of factions in Federalist No.10?

A) by adopting a system of direct democracy
B) by banning the formation of interest groups
C) by discouraging citizens from expressing their political views in public
D) by expanding their sphere of participation

Question 26

What did a recent study of interest group activity reveal about the importance of financial resources in the interest group system?

A) The big interests always win.
B) The correlation between big money and lobbying success is weak.
C) PAC donations and lobbying expenditures were shown to have a great impact on policy outcomes.
D) Wealthy interest groups tend to align themselves with other wealthy groups and successfully overpower interest groups with less money.

Question 27

How do interest groups lobby the courts?

A) through letter-writing campaigns addressed to particular judges
B) by publishing editorials in major newspapers stating their views on cases
C) by bringing lawsuits to the courts on behalf of classes of citizens
D) by meeting with judges to express their views on cases

Question 28

Why do interest groups typically offer selective benefits to their members?

A) to foster greater diversity among group members
B) to encourage only the most committed supporters to become involved
C) to discourage members from joining more than one interest group
D) to overcome the free-rider problem

Question 29

Which of the following interest groups is an example of an equality interest?

A) the United Auto Workers
B) the National Organization for Women
C) the World Wildlife Fund
D) Common Cause

Question 30

Which of the following is an example of the free-rider problem?

A) a political action committee contributing to candidates from both major political parties
B) an elected official relying on information from lobbyists
C) an environmentalist deciding not to join an environmental group but appreciating the group's environmental stewardship
D) an environmental group disagreeing on what policy goals to pursue

Question 31

What is one of the reasons that interest groups have proliferated over the past half century?

A) Developments in technology made interest group activities easier.
B) The increasing power of political parties led to more interest group formation.
C) A decrease in the scope of government brought out interest groups seeking to protect their interests.
D) Legal restrictions on lobbying activities were lifted as part of the New Deal.

Question 32

What type of group is a trade association?

A) an economic interest group
B) a public interest group
C) a public sector interest group
D) a labor union

Question 33

What does intensity contribute to the success of an interest group?

A) Intensity often leads groups to advocate for more than they can realistically get, and the final result is that they get nothing.
B) Intense interest group members often scare away other potential members with less intense beliefs.
C) Politicians are more likely to listen to a group showing intensity.
D) Intensity weeds out the free riders in a group, resulting in a more heterogeneous group.

Question 34

Which of the following is a typical way for lobbyists to seek to influence members of Congress?

A) by offering them money to vote a particular way
B) by filing amicus curiae briefs
C) by organizing protests and demonstrations on Capitol Hill
D) by providing specialized expertise

Question 35

Which of the following is a pluralist belief?

A) Only wealthy interests have influence over government decisions.
B) Government decisions reflect the preferences of elites.
C) A rough approximation of the public interest emerges from competition between groups.
D) Policymakers care more about public opinion than interest groups' preferences.

Question 36

An interest group filing an amicus curiae brief is an example of __________.

A) grassroots lobbying
B) how interest groups influence elections
C) lobbying an executive branch agency
D) lobbying the judicial branch

Question 37

Which of the following comes closest to James Madison's conception of factions?

A) the media
B) women
C) interest groups
D) workers

Question 38

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

A) the National Rifle Association
B) the American Association of Retired People (AARP)
C) the Chamber of Commerce
D) the National Education Association

Question 39

Which of the following is an activity that lobbyists regularly engage in?

A) answering e-mails from elected officials' constituents
B) speaking on behalf of elected officials at press conferences
C) providing elected officials with innovative ideas for addressing a policy problem
D) providing legal counsel to interest groups in court cases

Question 40

Which of the following industries spent the most money on lobbying between 2009 and 2013?

A) real estate
B) pharmaceuticals
C) hospitals
D) oil and gas

Question 41

According to the theory of pluralism,political power is distributed across a wide range of diverse and competing interest groups.

Question 42

Which type of organization would find it easiest to overcome the free-rider problem?

A) an environmental organization working to pass climate change legislation
B) a labor union in a state where union membership is optional
C) a trade association for a small industry
D) a national organization fighting for women's rights

Question 43

Which of the following statements about campaign contributions made by corporate PACs to candidates for the U.S.House of Representatives is true?

A) In each race, corporate PACs direct their donations to support whichever candidate most closely shares their ideological values.
B) Corporate PACs give most of their contributions to Democrats.
C) A majority of corporate PAC contributions go to the candidates of whichever party controls the House.
D) Corporate PACs give most of their money to those running for open seats.

Question 44

Why is the correlation between a group's financial resources and its lobbying success so weak?

A) Lobbying is a competitive enterprise with big interests often facing off against one another.
B) Many interest groups do not know how to use their financial resources effectively.
C) Because elected officials don't want to appear biased, they often vote against their PAC contributors.
D) Regulations limit how much money an interest group can spend on lobbying.

Question 45

All else being equal,corporate PACs are more likely to favor the Republican candidates than Democratic candidates.

Question 46

Which of the following conditions would eliminate the free-rider problem?

A) if participation in an interest group were mandatory
B) if members were allowed to vote on matters of concern to the interest group
C) if the leaders of an interest group were able to set the group's priorities
D) if an interest group focused on providing benefits to society as a whole

Question 47

Which is a consequence of hyperpluralism?

A) reduced agency budgets
B) termination of government programs
C) contradictory and confusing policies
D) growth in the number of political parties

Question 48

What is the main objective of most labor unions?

A) to protect consumers from unsafe products
B) to protect the interests of businesses within an industry
C) to promote better working conditions and higher wages
D) to provide jobs for the unemployed

Question 49

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

A) the 21st Century Virginia Coalition
B) the Chamber of Commerce
C) Common Cause
D) the National Beer Wholesalers Association

Question 50

The soft drink industry successfully lobbied to halt a proposed tax on sugary drinks that was aimed at promoting better health.

Question 51

The National Rifle Association is an example of a trade association.

Question 52

The phrase "interest group liberalism" describes the positive influence of interest groups on the political system.

Question 53

How did the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 affect lobbyists?

A) It limited the number of hours each lobbyist could work during a single session of Congress.
B) It required all lobbyists to join the Labor Union of American Lobbyists and Government Relations Experts.
C) It set limits on how many lobbyists could be employed by a PAC.
D) It required lobbyists to file a report detailing the sources of their lobbying income.

Question 54

Lobbying is a way that groups make their interests known to government officials.

Question 55

The Chamber of Commerce is a powerful lobbying force in Washington,D.C.

Question 56

In which of the following might political action committees (PACs)invest their contributions in order to maximize their political influence?

A) members of the minority party in Congress
B) challengers
C) incumbents
D) presidential candidates

Question 57

Membership in labor unions has increased over the last several decades.

Question 58

What is the main goal of each of the three elements of an iron triangle?

A) abolishing free-riders
B) creating more opportunities for collective action
C) fostering democratic deliberation
D) protecting their self-interests

Question 59

Critics of pluralism have noted that __________.

A) government decisions reflect the balance of competing interests in society
B) power is concentrated in the hands of the few
C) individuals with shared grievances usually form interest groups to press their demands upon government
D) the formation of one group typically stimulates the formation of an opposing group

Question 60

In recent decades,political action committees (PACs)have declined as vehicles for campaign contributions.

Question 61

Despite the fact that members of Congress often lack specialized expertise in particular policy areas,they are prohibited by law from accepting information or policy proposals from registered lobbyists.

Question 62

Anti-Vietnam War activists formed __________ interest groups.

Question 63

According to James Madison,a(n)__________ is a group of individuals concerned more with their self-interest than with the rights of individuals outside the group or with the needs of society as a whole.

Question 64

__________ refers to communicating with government officials on behalf of an interest to persuade them to support a particular policy decision.

Question 65

Interest groups are prohibited from attempting to influence the decisions of elected officials who have received campaign contributions from the interest's PAC.

Question 66

According to the theory of __________,political power is distributed across a wide range of diverse and competing interest groups.

Question 67

Elite theorists argue that __________ have an advantage over other types of interest groups in their efforts to influence government.

Question 68

A __________ is something of value that cannot be withheld from a potential group member.

Question 69

An environmental group works to pass legislation that would decrease air pollution.An individual might not contribute to that group since he or she could enjoy the benefits of breathing clean air without joining the group.This is an example of the __________ problem.

Question 70

Common Cause pushes for openness and fairness in government and is an example of a(n)__________ lobby.

Question 71

The free-rider problem occurs when people fail to join a group because they can receive the benefits the group offers without contributing to the group's efforts.

Question 72

A strategy interest groups use to directly influence the judiciary is the filing of class action lawsuits.

Question 73

Lobbying works best on elected officials who are already committed to the interest group's policy positions.

Question 74

Critics of pluralism note that political power is widely dispersed in society.

Question 75

A pluralist would view the presence of so many lobbyists in Washington,D.C.,as harmful to the functioning of our political system.

Question 76

One service that lobbyists perform is to provide legislators with __________ that helps them to better understand the policy issue.

Question 77

Ralph Nader launched the first major __________ group after winning a hefty damage settlement against General Motors.

Question 78

PACs make more contributions to the campaigns of incumbents than they do to challengers.

Question 79

One way that interest groups can attempt to influence court cases in which they have an interest is by filing a(n)__________ brief.

Question 80

Public interest groups engage primarily in electioneering,whereas business groups focus mainly on direct lobbying of government officials.