Question 1

In recent years, private sector union membership has done which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  It has plateaued. 
B)  It has completely disappeared. 
C)  It has doubled. 
D)  It has tripled. 
E)  It has declined.

Question 2

What role do interest groups play in educating policymakers about political issues?

Accepted Answer

A)  Interest groups are never considered a valid source of information because they are so biased. 
B)  So few people are members of interest groups that any communication policymakers receive from such groups is considered insignificant. 
C)  They are an important source of political information. 
D)  They tend to confuse policymakers and often alienate them. 
E)  They serve to overwhelm policymakers with too much information.

Question 3

Which of the following best describes how lobbyists provide advisory assistance to legislators?

Accepted Answer

A)  Testifying before legislative committees 
B)  Assisting legislators with the drafting of bills 
C)  Providing technical expertise to legislators 
D)  Providing exotic vacations to legislators 
E)  Testifying before legislative committees, assisting legislators with the drafting of bills, and providing technical expertise to legislators

Question 4

Explain how lobbyists influence legislation or policy by highlighting three common techniques employed by lobbyists.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain how lobbyists influence legislation or policy...

Question 5

What types of interest groups are defined as economic interest groups?

Accepted Answer

A)  Business, labor, and public interest groups 
B)  Labor, agricultural, and environmental groups 
C)  Business and labor groups and foreign governments 
D)  Business, labor, and professional groups 
E)  Professional and agricultural groups and foreign governments

Question 6

Since 1960, the greatest growth in unionization has occurred among which of the following groups?

Accepted Answer

A)  Military personnel 
B)  Public employees 
C)  Professional athletes 
D)  Private sector employees 
E)  Information technology employees

Question 7

The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 1997 does which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  Requires lobbyists to report their activities annually 
B)  Requires Congress to post lobbying information on the Internet 
C)  Significantly changes the culture of Washington, D.C. 
D)  Requires that all pork spending proposals be reported to the president 
E)  Limits spending by lobbyists to $100,000/quarter

Question 8

Some argue that the interest group system is most likely to leave out which of the following groups?

Accepted Answer

A)  Poor Americans 
B)  Workers in the public sector 
C)  Workers in the private sector 
D)  The agriculture industry 
E)  Small businesses

Question 9

Earmarks that benefit a particular business were banned by the House in what year?

Accepted Answer

A)  1946 
B)  1995 
C)  1996 
D)  2007 
E)  2011

Question 10

Discuss the tactics used by interest groups as part of information campaigns.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss the tactics used by interest groups...

Question 11

Groups specially formed to raise and contribute funds to support electoral candidates and that are subject to campaign finance laws are known as which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  Political action committees 
B)  Unions 
C)  Special interests 
D)  501 (c)(3) organizations 
E)  501 (c)(4) organizations

Question 12

Most interest groups have a bias toward which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  The middle and upper classes 
B)  Environmental groups 
C)  The common good 
D)  The political right 
E)  The political left

Question 13

Explain the factors that make an interest group powerful.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain the factors that make an interest...

Question 14

The most numerous types of interest groups in the United States are which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  Economic interest groups 
B)  Social interest groups 
C)  Liberal interest groups 
D)  Environmental interest groups 
E)  Public interest groups

Question 15

According to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, a lobbyist must register with which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  The Speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate 
B)  The clerk of the House and the secretary of the Senate 
C)  The Speaker of the House and the Senate majority leader 
D)  The House majority whip and the Senate majority whip 
E)  The bailiff of the House and the president of the Senate

Question 16

What are the differences between a social movement and an interest group? How are they related?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are the differences between a social...

Question 17

Someone joining an interest group because they want benefits such as emergency assistance or discounts is joining for which of the following reasons?

Accepted Answer

A)  Material incentives 
B)  Solidary incentives 
C)  Purposive incentives 
D)  Philosophical incentives 
E)  Social incentives

Question 18

Identifying and making legislative earmarks was a key feature of which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  The 1946 lobbying reforms 
B)  The 1995 lobbying reforms 
C)  The 1995-1996 rules of the House and Senate 
D)  The 2007 lobbying reforms 
E)  The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946

Question 19

In recent years, public employee unions have come under increasing challenge over issues related to which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  Issue networks 
B)  International trade 
C)  Wages and pensions 
D)  Medicare and Medicaid 
E)  Grassroots mobilization

Question 20

If a group of people supporting housing equity organized themselves and attempted to affect policymakers, they would have formed which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  An interest group 
B)  A political party 
C)  A lobby 
D)  A civil interest group 
E)  A social movement

Exam 7: Interest Groups