Deck 8: Interest Groups

Question 1

Public interest groups differ from other types of interest groups in that

A)they claim to serve the common good,not just their own particular interests.
B)they were the first political associations to use the strategy of direct mailing.
C)they were the first group to abandon lobbying and take up only grassroots activism.
D)unlike other interest groups,their status is like that of a charity,not a political organization.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Members of interest groups in the United States are typically people

A)with higher incomes,more education,and management or professional occupations.
B)with lower incomes,less education,and manual labor occupations.
C)who identify as Republicans.
D)who identify as Democrats.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Moveon.org began

A)in 1996 as a social networking site for progressive activists opposed to free-trade agreements.
B)in 1998 as an email group fighting against the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.
C)in 2003 as a protest movement fighting against the war in Iraq.
D)in 2010 as a lobbying organization opposed to the Affordable Care Act.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following is a theoretical assumption of pluralism?

A)Competition among interests will produce balance,with all interests moderating
Each other.
B)Competition among interests will produce extreme public policy,with one interest dominating all others.
C)Only some interests should be free to compete for influence in the United States.
D)All interests are not equally free to compete for influence in the United States.

Question 5

How the Constitution balances the threat posed by organized interests with the need for liberty is discussed in the

A)Federalist Papers,no.7.
B)Federalist Papers,no.10.
C)Federalist Papers,no.51.
D)Anti-Federalist Papers,no.78.

Question 6

The "poor" and the homeless are two examples of

A)public interest groups.
B)potential interest groups.
C)citizen interest groups.
D)grassroots interest groups.

Question 7

A criticism of interest group pluralism is

A)its inherent propensity for compromise,the character of which tends to be antidemocratic.
B)its class bias in favor of those with greater financial resources.
C)that its ideals are too closely associated with Marxist-Leninist ideology and are
Therefore unacceptable to the majority of Americans.
D)that it gives too much influence to religious organizations and therefore threatens
The separation of church and state.

Question 8

A person who enjoys the benefits of a group's collective efforts but does not contribute
To those efforts is called a

A)citizen.
B)subject.
C)free rider.
D)lobbyist.

Question 9

"Selective benefits" are

A)government programs that provide tax cuts for people at the top of the income distribution.
B)government programs that distribute food,housing,or monetary assistance to people who make less than a predetermined amount of money each year.
C)incentives that interest groups make available only to those people who are members of their organizations.
D)incentives that interest groups distribute to people who do not belong to their organizations in order to win public support for their causes.

Question 10

Labor groups represent ________ percent of the total number of interest groups registered
To lobby in Washington.

A)2
B)22
C)42
D)62

Question 11

Elite pluralism refers to the fact that

A)many important government officials in the United States are not elected by the American public.
B)most American interest groups will only accept members who have a college degree and make above a certain amount of money each year.
C)political leaders in the United States have a wide range of views and are not exclusively liberal or conservative.
D)economic elites have used group politics to achieve considerably more influence than mass-based forces in the American political process.

Question 12

The National League of Cities is a good example of a

A)public-sector interest group.
B)professional association.
C)political action committee.
D)public interest group.

Question 13

The Sierra Club is a(n)________ group.

A)public interest
B)ideological
C)labor
D)business

Question 14

It is difficult for political scientists to categorize unrepresented interests because

A)there are no constitutional means for unorganized interests to compete for attention.
B)there are no organizations that can present their identities and demands.
C)there are no measurements of interests and needs outside of representation.
D)these interests often want to stay hidden from public view.

Question 15

The best description of the ideal of pluralism is that

A)the public good should always trump individual interests.
B)interest groups should be free to compete for governmental influence.
C)interest groups are factions that endanger liberty.
D)democracy is best served by legalizing but regulating the influence of interest groups.

Question 16

When a coalition of credit card companies forms an interest group called the Partnership to
Protect Consumer Credit,this suggests that

A)credit card companies are interested in the public good.
B)private interests are hiding behind the ideals of public interests.
C)public interest groups are now actively involving private corporations.
D)the free-rider problem does not apply to private corporations.

Question 17

Interest groups are concerned with the ________ of government,while political parties are
Concerned with the ________ of government.

A)values; goals
B)membership; authority
C)policies; personnel
D)legitimacy; power

Question 18

More than one-third of the groups with lobbying offices in Washington are

A)businesses and corporations.
B)labor groups.
C)ideological groups.
D)public-sector groups.

Question 19

The Teamsters and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations
Are examples of ________ groups.

A)public interest
B)business
C)Labor
D)ideological

Question 20

The Christian Coalition is a(n)________ group.

A)public interest
B)ideological
C)labor
D)business

Question 21

AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons)began

A)in 1932 as an effort to convince Congress to enact Social Security.
B)in 1958 as an effort to find affordable health insurance for retired teachers.
C)in 1965 as an effort to push for the passage of Medicare.
D)in 2001 as an effort to prevent the George W.Bush administration's tax cuts.

Question 22

The increased number and importance of interest groups

A)causes a subsequent expansion in government.
B)is a response to an increase in the size and activity of government.
C)is a response to a decrease in the size and activity of government.
D)is due to the decline in the United States' multiparty system.

Question 23

AARP has approximately ________ members today.

A)38,000
B)338,000
C)3,800,000
D)38,000,000

Question 24

The solidary benefits of interest groups include

A)friendship and consciousness-raising.
B)special services and goods.
C)information and money.
D)identification with the purpose or ideology of the group.

Question 25

A benefit that is sought by an interest group and that once achieved cannot be denied to
Nonmembers is called a

A)free rider.
B)collective good.
C)solidary benefit.
D)purposive benefit.

Question 26

The New Politics movement gave rise to ________ groups.

A)ideological
B)partisan
C)labor
D)public interest

Question 27

One way in which AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons)has
Been effective at overcoming the free-rider problem is by providing ________ benefits
To its members.

A)selective
B)elective
C)free-rider
D)public good

Question 28

Over the past several decades,the number and scale of interest groups at the national level has

A)dramatically increased.
B)experienced relatively modest growth.
C)remained relatively stagnant.
D)experienced relatively modest decline.

Question 29

The free-rider problem occurs because

A)members of Congress are presented with many opportunities to amend a piece of legislation.
B)the benefits of a group's actions are available only to a specific segment of society.
C)the benefits of a group's actions are broadly available and cannot be denied to nonmembers.
D)members of Congress listen only to organized interest groups and not to public opinion polls.

Question 30

A ________ exists when paid staff conduct most of the daily business of a group.

A)staff organization
B)free-rider group
C)lobbyist firm
D)527 committee

Question 31

The major organizational factors shared by most interest groups are

A)very close links with the national news media,direct ties to a member of Congress,a headquarters in Washington,D.C. ,and members.
B)very close links with the national news media,connections with Hollywood,direct ties to the president of the United States,and members.
C)leadership,money,an agency or office,and members.
D)leadership,a rigid hierarchical structure,access to loans from the Federal Reserve,and members.

Question 32

When membership in an organization allows for a reduction in the price of museum tickets,
It is an example of a

A)solidary benefit.
B)promotion offer.
C)material benefit.
D)purposive benefit.

Question 33

The free-rider phenomenon is

A)more problematic in very large groups.
B)more problematic in very small groups.
C)not affected in any way by the size of the group in question.
D)not related to groups in any way because it is an individual-level problem.

Question 34

A ________ is the best example of an informational benefit provided by many interest groups.

A)consciousness-raising workshop
B)free T-shirt
C)newsletter
D)health insurance program

Question 35

A full-page,fully paid spread in the New York Times publicizing a major oil company is
Best described as

A)going public.
B)lobbying.
C)institutional advertising.
D)an issue network.

Question 36

Which of the following groups is MOST likely to belong to the New Politics movement?

A)blue-collar workers whose formative experience was the Great Depression
B)upper-middle-class professionals,for whom the civil rights and antiwar movements of the 1960s were key experiences
C)conservative evangelical southerners,reacting to the cultural changes of the 1960s
D)recent immigrants to the United States

Question 37

Online activist organizations are less expensive to organize than traditional interest groups
Because they

A)do not provide any selective benefits to their members.
B)spend much less time communicating with their members and much more time lobbying policy makers.
C)have a streamlined staff structure with fewer staff,who often work from virtual offices.
D)are always run entirely by volunteers who take no salary.

Question 38

In order to overcome the ________,interest groups often provide ________ to their members.

A)free-rider problem; collective goods
B)free-rider problem; selective benefits
C)principal-agent problem; collective goods
D)principal-agent problem; selective benefits

Question 39

A membership association is a group

A)that accepts anyone as a member.
B)in which members play an important role in the daily activities and administration.
C)in which members vote directly for their leaders.
D)in which only members may receive benefits.

Question 40

National defense is a good example of a

A)material benefit.
B)collective good.
C)solidary benefit.
D)purposive benefit.

Question 41

In an iron triangle,the interest group

A)is legally excluded from any interactions with congressional committees and administrative agencies.
B)provides campaign contributions to members of Congress and lobbies for larger administrative agency budgets.
C)organizes grassroots mobilizations against administrative agencies and congressional incumbents.
D)files formal lawsuits and amicus briefs against administrative agencies and congressional incumbents.

Question 42

Lobbying is

A)an attempt by an individual or group to influence the passage of legislation by exerting indirect pressure,through advertisements and media coverage,on members of Congress or a state legislature.
B)an attempt by an individual or group to influence the passage of legislation by exerting direct pressure on members of Congress or a state legislature.
C)an attempt by an individual or group to influence the passage of legislation by exerting indirect pressure,through phone calls or emails,on members of Congress or a state legislature.
D)the act of working on a reelection campaign.

Question 43

A grassroots mobilization campaign occurs when

A)an interest group asks its members and their families throughout the country to write their representatives in support of the group's position.
B)a spontaneous show of political support for a particular position manifests itself.
C)interest groups organize to support a dark-horse presidential candidate.
D)an interest group buys advertisements in newspapers around the country in order to publicize an issue.

Question 44

Which of the following Supreme Court cases illustrates the use of litigation by an interest group?

A)Roe v.Wade (1973)
B)Webster v.Reproductive Health Services (1989)
C)Dred Scott v.Sandford (1857)
D)United States v.Nixon (1974)

Question 45

What is the MOST important and beneficial resource that lobbyists provide government officials?

A)money
B)information
C)campaign workers
D)legal assistance

Question 46

________ is a strategy that attempts to mobilize the widest and most favorable climate of opinion.

A)Litigation
B)Creating a "war room"
C)Creating an iron triangle
D)Going public

Question 47

When an oil company is invited to participate in negotiations with the Environmental Protection Agency over a proposed rule on offshore drilling,it illustrates that

A)the First Amendment to the Constitution only allows corporations to "petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
B)Supreme Court decisions banning iron triangles have largely failed to limit interest group influence.
C)federal agencies almost always attempt to consult relevant stakeholders before implementing a new rule.
D)interest groups no longer attempt to influence representatives in Congress or judges and focus almost all of their attention,instead,on administrative agencies.

Question 48

An iron triangle is made up of an alliance between

A)a legislative committee,an executive agency,and the federal courts.
B)the federal courts,the state courts,and interest groups.
C)a legislative committee,an interest group,and an executive agency.
D)the media,a legislative committee,and the federal courts.

Question 49

In the lobbying world,to be "Microsofted" means that a company has

A)become vulnerable to adverse legislation and investigation as a result of failing to
Lobby the federal government.
B)only lobbied members of one political party,who have just lost their majority.
C)lobbied only the federal government,opening itself up to adverse actions by state governments.
D)allowed other companies to become free riders on its costly lobbying efforts.

Question 50

The practice of lobbying is protected by

A)the First Amendment.
B)state and federal laws dating from the 1930s.
C)internal rules of Congress.
D)a 1961 Supreme Court decision.

Question 51

A political action committee (PAC)can contribute ________ to any candidate for federal office,provided it contributes to at least five different federal candidates each year.

A)$500
B)$5,000
C)$50,000
D)$500,000

Question 52

The legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015 illustrates

A)the impact that an interest group can have through lobbying Congress.
B)the impact that an interest group can have through a litigation strategy.
C)the impact that an interest group can have through Super PACs.
D)the impact of iron triangles on the policy making process.

Question 53

Another name for lobbying is

A)stalking.
B)mobilizing.
C)petitioning.
D)litigating.

Question 54

In recent years,the religious right has had a great effect on American politics through

A)grassroots mobilization.
B)gaining access.
C)campaign financing.
D)iron triangles.

Question 55

A loose,informal relationship of public officials,interest groups,and activists who are all
Concerned with the same policies is called

A)an iron triangle.
B)a membership association.
C)the New Politics movement.
D)an issue network.

Question 56

Brown v.Board of Education of Topeka,Kansas was a Supreme Court case pursued as part
Of ________ strategy of litigation.

A)the Congress of Racial Equality's
B)the American Civil Liberties Union's
C)the Human Rights Campaign's
D)the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's

Question 57

In an iron triangle,the congressional committee

A)supports the agency's budgetary requests and the programs the interest group favors.
B)opposes the agency's budgetary requests and the programs the interest group favors.
C)files formal lawsuits and amicus briefs against administrative agencies and interest groups.
D)is legally excluded from any interactions with interest groups and administrative agencies.

Question 58

How do interest groups use litigation as a strategy of influence?

A)They file amicus curiae briefs,finance lawsuits,and bring suit directly on behalf of
The group.
B)They directly lobby judges,use direct-mail solicitations,and make campaign contributions to members of Congress.
C)They engage in institutional advertising,activate issue networks,and directly lobby judges.
D)They work with 527 committees,directly lobby judges,and engage in institutional advertising.

Question 59

The National Rifle Association (NRA)has approximately how many members?

A)100,000
B)1 million
C)5 million
D)12 million

Question 60

The term "stakeholder" refers to

A)members of Congress.
B)organizations affected by a government policy.
C)corporations that sell government bonds or securities.
D)individual activists that participate in the New Politics movement.

Question 61

Describe some different types of interest groups that are currently active in American politics.How do grassroots online activist organizations differ in their organization,communication,objectives,recruitment,and tactics from more traditional interest groups?

Question 62

The Supreme Court's landmark decision in Citizens United v.Federal Election Commission
(2010)was significant because it

A)dramatically decreased the flow of money from interest groups and Super PACs into politics and electoral campaigns.
B)dramatically increased the flow of money from interest groups and Super PACs into politics and electoral campaigns.
C)prohibited Super PACs from donating to electoral campaigns but increased the amount of money interest groups could contribute.
D)prohibited interest groups from donating to electoral campaigns but increased the amount of money Super PACs could contribute.

Question 63

Alexis de Tocqueville argued that the proliferation of interest groups promoted

A)tyranny of the majority.
B)undemocratic elitism.
C)governmental responsiveness.
D)economic equality.

Question 64

Between 1972 and 2016,the number of PACs in the United States

A)declined from over 7,000 to just 480.
B)declined from over 1,000 to just 48.
C)increased from 480 to over 7,000.
D)remained relatively constant.

Question 65

Analyze the theory of pluralism.Your essay should discuss the following: (1)the main assumptions of pluralism concerning the role of interests and factions in American politics; (2)the Founders' concerns about organized interests and their effects on government; and (3)some contemporary criticisms of pluralism in American politics.

Question 66

________ occurs when interest groups take out advertisements and hold marches.

A)Mobilizing public opinion
B)Partisan politics
C)Lobbying
D)Litigating

Question 67

What is the primary function of a PAC?

A)to raise grassroots support for a particular interest
B)to build better networks between interest groups and political parties
C)to raise and distribute money to election campaigns
D)to produce and carry out an institutional advertising campaign

Question 68

Which of the following was NOT part of the ethics rules enacted by Congress in 2007?

A)a prohibition on lobbyists from paying for most meals,trips,parties,and gifts for members of Congress
B)a requirement to disclose the amounts and sources of small campaign contributions collected from clients and "bundled" into large contributions
C)a requirement to disclose the funds lobbyists use to rally voters to support or oppose legislative proposals
D)a prohibition on all PAC contributions to members of Congress

Question 69

The federal government has made many attempts to regulate lobbying over the course of American history.Discuss the federal government's rules regarding lobbying and what impact they have on the strategies employed by lobbyists.In your answer,be sure to discuss specific laws passed by Congress as well as recent Supreme Court decisions on campaign finance.

Question 70

There were approximately ________ in independent expenditures in the 2016 presidential election.

A)$150 million
B)$570 million
C)$750 million
D)$1.3 billion

Question 71

All interest groups need to recruit and retain members in order to achieve their political goals.Explain what the "free-rider" problem is and why it makes recruitment and retention difficult for interest groups.Drawing on the history of the American Association of Retired People,discuss how successful interest groups are able to overcome the free-rider problem.In your answer,be sure to define the different kinds of selective incentives interest groups provide to their members.

Question 72

Individuals and organizations can give an unlimited amount of money to

A)U.S.Senate candidates.
B)U.S.presidential candidates.
C)political parties.
D)Super PACs.

Question 73

Interest groups are permitted to spend as much money as they want on issue advocacy during
A campaign season,as long as they

A)do not coordinate their efforts with a candidate's own campaign organization.
B)are willing to publicize their membership lists.
C)present both sides of the issue in their issue advocacy ads.
D)do not employ any person who has formerly worked on a political campaign.

Question 74

In the 2017-2018 election cycle,individuals could contribute no more than ________ to any
Candidate for federal office in any primary or general election.

A)$1,000
B)$2,700
C)$5,000
D)$7,500

Question 75

The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971

A)states that individuals may contribute up $15,000 to any candidate for federal office in any primary or general election.
B)requires that each candidate or campaign committee itemize the full name and address,occupation,and principal business of each person who contributes more than $100.
C)states that political action committees can contribute $500,000 to any candidate for federal office in any primary or general election.
D)eliminated unrestricted "soft money" donations to the national political parties.

Question 76

What distinguishes lobbying from other strategies of influence?

A)Lobbying is the least expensive and the most democratic strategy of influencing government.
B)Lobbyists try to exert pressure directly on government officials themselves.
C)Lobbying is the only form of influence that has explicit First Amendment protection from regulation.
D)Lobbying involves advertising in order to create a positive image of an organization.

Question 77

Describe some of the different strategies that interest groups use to gain influence on public policy.In your answer,be sure to give specific examples of each of the strategies you discuss.

Question 78

The initiative was

A)promoted by late nineteenth-century Populists and Progressives as an antidote to interest group influence in the legislative process.
B)promoted by late nineteenth-century religious conservatives as a way to restore "moral values" to the country.
C)promoted by early twentieth-century liberals as a way of protecting immigrant rights.
D)established at the federal level by the Twenty-Sixth Amendment to the Constitution.