Deck 6: Interest Groups and Lobbying

Question 1

Once a lobbyist has access to a member of the legislature, the lobbyist can

A) provide information about how specific policies can benefit the legislator's district.
B) vote on legislation.
C) testify at judicial hearings.
D) provide bribes to lawmakers.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

During the Texas Constitutional Convention of 1875, which interest group played an important role?

A) 8F Crowd
B) Halliburton Company
C) the Grange
D) AAA

Answer 2

C

Question 3

What resource(s) are interest groups able to use to influence politics?

A) members
B) ability to raise money
C) credibility
D) All of these are correct.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following advantages do better-funded interest groups have?

A) time
B) money
C) expertise
D) All of these are correct.

Question 5

Interest groups are best seen as

A) organizations established to influence the government's programs and policies.
B) basically the same as political parties.
C) largely irrelevant in Texas politics today.
D) corrupt entities that harm democracy.

Question 6

An interest group that serves as an umbrella organization to coordinate the activities of member groups in specific targeted areas is known as a(n)

A) coordination association.
B) facilitation cooperation.
C) peak association.
D) interest group coalition.

Question 7

Ultimately, what do interest groups want from policymakers?

A) They want policy that is beneficial for their groups.
B) They want information that benefits their groups.
C) They want monies for their special projects.
D) They want unlimited access to the policymakers.

Question 8

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) provides what kind of assistance to conservative state legislators across the country?

A) ALEC provides experienced campaign managers to help run reelection campaigns.
B) ALEC sponsors voter registration drives.
C) ALEC writes pieces of legislation and helps get the legislation passed.
D) ALEC screens judicial nominees to ensure quality people are selected to serve as judges.

Question 9

Which incentives do interest groups engage in to overcome the free rider problem?

A) special discounts
B) subscription to a magazine
C) access to special information on the Internet
D) All of these are correct.

Question 10

The situation in which individuals receive the benefits of collective action without contributing is known as

A) the "free rider problem."
B) the "welfare state."
C) "benefit stealing."
D) "coattailing."

Question 11

Interest groups use judicial strategies in order to

A) challenge existing policies and laws within the court system.
B) mobilize citizens.
C) testify before legislative committees.
D) inform and educate public officials.

Question 12

The practice of combining several individual campaign contributions into one larger contribution from a group in order to increase the group's impact is known as

A) bribery.
B) PAC-ing.
C) bundling.
D) soft money.

Question 13

Arguably, the largest and most effective public employee interest group in Texas is made up of

A) firefighters.
B) police officers.
C) teachers.
D) justices of the peace.

Question 14

Which of the following is most likely to happen when a public interest group mobilizes its members to support a piece of legislation?

A) The interest group would deliver bundled funds to supportive members of the legislature.
B) The interest group would have its members write a sample piece of legislation that could be used as a template by members of the legislature.
C) The interest group would have its members write or call legislators urging them to vote for the legislation.
D) The interest group would offer campaign support for friendly members of the legislature.

Question 15

Who argued in Federalist 10 that "factions" would play an important role in American politics?

A) George Washington
B) Ben Franklin
C) Thomas Paine
D) James Madison

Question 16

Which of the following is/are employed to express the values of interest groups?

A) pressure group
B) lobbyists
C) executive appointees
D) legislative assistants

Question 17

The Texas Medical Association is best described as what kind of interest group?

A) professional
B) public employee
C) public interest
D) ideological

Question 18

Most lobbyists

A) are women.
B) are less educated but politically astute.
C) have expertise in policy matters or personal relationships with legislators.
D) are corrupt.

Question 19

In his book The Logic of Collective Action, Mancur Olson argues that which of the following creates a fundamental dilemma in interest group politics?

A) free rider problem
B) game theory
C) proportional theory
D) multi-party theory

Question 20

Which of the following groups have had notable political success by litigating in federal courts?

A) professional groups
B) public employee interest groups
C) civil rights groups
D) chemical company lobbyists

Question 21

Interest groups often employ _____________________ as lobbyists in order to gain access to those in Texas government.

A) retired sports stars
B) political science majors
C) Republican campaign consultants
D) former legislators and government officials

Question 22

How long must a former member of a governing body or former executive head of a regulatory agency wait before he or she can lobby that agency?

A) 2 years
B) 5 years
C) 10 years
D) Texas law prevents individuals from lobbying an agency where they were previously employed.

Question 23

Compared to the national average, Texans tend to rank ______________ on measures that are related to civic engagement.

A) in the top 5 percent
B) near the bottom
C) in the upper 25 percent
D) in the middle

Question 24

Which U.S. Supreme Court case in 2009 created the opportunity for those opposed to powerful incumbents to create organizations without having to disclose their donors?

A) Clinton v. Patriot Citizens
B) Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
C) McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission
D) Bush v. Federal Election Commission

Question 25

In order to gain access to politicians, interest groups will often

A) provide the infrastructure, such as campaign signs and office staff, needed for the politician to get reelected.
B) spend money on entertaining politicians.
C) spend money to reward people for voting.
D) threaten elected officials.

Question 26

When does interest-group capture occur?

A) when the state agency refuses to meet with lobbyists from the interest group
B) when the interest group takes over the get-out-the-vote effort for the candidate
C) when the interest group mobilizes resources to challenge policy through the court system
D) when the state agency primarily serves the objectives of the interest group

Question 27

When individuals or interest groups take out ads concerning a campaign issue but do not tie them directly to any particular candidate, it is called

A) soft money spending.
B) bundling.
C) issue advocacy.
D) direct advocacy.

Question 28

Scandals about the "steak men," Bo Pilgrim, and Gib Lewis resulted in

A) restrictions on speaking fees.
B) the creation of a state ethics commission.
C) restrictions on pleasure trips.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 29

If everyone acted as free riders, there would be more interest groups and problems would be solved more quickly.

Question 30

A private group that raises and distributes funds for use in election campaigns is called a(n)

A) interest group.
B) political action committee.
C) campaign revenue association.
D) advocacy association.

Question 31

EMILY's List is a national PAC that is funded by women and focuses on raising money for women candidates at which part of the campaign cycle?

A) the early part of the campaign cycle
B) the end of the campaign cycle
C) the middle of the campaign cycle
D) throughout the whole campaign cycle

Question 32

What was the problem Speaker Sam Rayburn identified with the "steak men" at the beginning of the twentieth century?

A) They were politicians who were in the pocket of the cattle industry.
B) They were legislators who would "sell" their votes on a bill for free steak dinners.
C) They were legislators who would attempt to cut all the meat out of the budgets.
D) They were lobbyists who Rayburn said were full of "bull."

Question 33

Texas has ________ laws dealing with lobbying by former government officials.

A) no
B) numerous
C) weak
D) strong

Question 34

As in the U.S. Congress, most campaign contributions in Texas go to

A) incumbents.
B) supporters of environmental interests.
C) Democrats.
D) political parties.

Question 35

If an interest group "gets on the late train," it means

A) the group's lobbyists are unable to gain access to key politicians until after all opposing lobbyists have been heard.
B) an interest group gives contributions after the election to a winning candidate the group had earlier opposed.
C) a political action committee donates money for a candidate in the general election but not in the primaries.
D) an interest group picks up on an issue only after public-opinion polling shows a great deal of support.

Question 36

One major way for interest groups to promote the political interests of elected officials who support their viewpoints and oppose the interests of those who do not is by engaging in

A) campaign contributions.
B) hiring staff personnel.
C) buying media access.
D) letter writing.

Question 37

Which of these political action committees spend the least amount of money in Texas elections?

A) agriculture
B) labor unions
C) business groups
D) political parties

Question 38

By forming a political action committee (PAC), the interest group can show a candidate that

A) it has a strategy to maximize Astroturf lobbying to its fullest extent.
B) it is prepared to give incidentals to the most deserving incumbent.
C) its members care very deeply about an issue and are willing to donate money to support the group's position on the issue.
D) it has a better strategy to write legislation than the member of the legislature.

Question 39

Interest groups will often try to get _______________ to write letters or call legislators to show their support for the group's position on a particular issue.

A) constituents
B) influencers
C) lobbyists
D) other government officials

Question 40

Battleground Texas is a get-out-the-vote (GOTV) effort undertaken by which group?

A) The Texas Republican Party
B) The Texas Democratic Party
C) The Texas Medical Association
D) The American Legislative Exchange Council

Question 41

A lobbyist is an individual employed by a political action committee who tries to influence governmental decisions on behalf of that group.

Question 42

The influence on the political system that business leaders gain through lobbying fundraising can be viewed as part of the traditionalistic-individualistic political culture that is dominant in Texas.

Question 43

EMILY's List is a national political action committee that provides campaign contributions to female candidates only during the 30 days immediately before the election.

Question 44

Interest groups representing labor organizations dominate Texas politics.

Question 45

Describe some of the different types of interest groups operating in Texas. Which ones have been the most influential? What are some interests that have been underrepresented in Texas?

Question 46

Dark money is political money that comes from donors whose names must always be disclosed.

Question 47

Because of the incumbency advantage, it is far safer for interest groups to try to work with incumbents than challengers.

Question 48

In Texas, teachers make up an important public employee interest group.

Question 49

Incumbents are most likely to receive large campaign contributions.

Question 50

Texans tend to be more politically involved than the national average.

Question 51

Interest groups must make sure that they maintain their credibility with policymakers.

Question 52

Texas has strong laws dealing with lobbying from former government officials.

Question 53

Interest groups typically have more time, money, and expertise to offer politicians than do average citizens.

Question 54

Some of Texas's biggest lobby spenders are groups that include the interests of consumers, the environment, or human services.

Question 55

One important way of gaining access to those in government is to employ former officials as lobbyists.

Question 56

Gaining access to politicians through personal connections is a violation of Texas state laws.

Question 57

Entertaining politicians is one of the most critical ways for lobbyists to gain access.

Question 58

Interest groups offer incentives to join, such as selective benefits, to overcome the free rider problem.

Question 59

Civil rights groups have had success using the court system to further their members' interests.

Question 60

Political action committees help interest groups bundle campaign donations.

Question 61

What are interest groups and why are they important in our political system? How are they important to legislators?

Question 62

Is there anything Texas can do to limit the impact of large campaign donors without limiting free speech?

Question 63

Explain the revolving door and the Texas legislature. Should former legislators be able to become lobbyists? Should there be a ban on such activities? If so, should there be laws in place that will determine the time period of this kind of ban? Do you see any long-term dangers to permitting former legislators to serve as lobbyists?

Question 64

It is vital for lobbyists to gain access to politicians and policymakers. Describe some of the ways in which interest groups and their representatives gain access in Texas politics. What are some of the potential abuses of this process?