Question 1

New policies create constituencies ripe for organization in part because ______.

Accepted Answer

A)   it is easier to mobilize people to pursue benefits they do not yet enjoy than to defend what they already have
B)   no one ever mobilizes unless they have an economic interest that is directly threatened
C)   people who adapt their plans to existing policies develop a stake in their continuation
D)   the hope of gain is a more powerful incentive than the threat of loss C

Question 2

How is successful lobbying similar to the actions that the President takes when trying to gain support from members of Congress?

Accepted Answer

A)   The easiest strategy that wins supporters is by threatening electoral harm by opposing something popular.
B)   Getting people to do what he or she wants them to do by convincing them that the action serves their goals.
C)   Mobilizing public opinion through speeches and television commercials is the easiest way to build support.
D)   Cutting off access and limiting benefits help political actors understand what actions are in their best interests. B

Question 3

What is one of the major concerns for specialized interest groups working in an issue area?

Accepted Answer

A)   Small groups will be swallowed by larger groups with more resources.
B)   Similar groups appeal to the same supporters and this makes the formation of coalitions tricky.
C)   Politicians will focus their attention on the group that can deliver the greatest electoral advantages.
D)   Too many groups working at cross-purposes undermines any effort to secure policy changes from the government. B

Question 4

Most politically active interest groups ______.

Accepted Answer

A)   use PACs as the single most important method to influence politics
B)   do not form PACs at all but rely on other methods to influence politics
C)   have multiple PACs that are utilized to give the appearance of more constituent strength than is accurate
D)   are forced to litigate to be able to fully use their PACs

Question 5

Why are small groups easier to organize than large ones?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why are small groups easier to organize...

Question 6

Madison and de Tocqueville both believed that voluntary groups ______.

Accepted Answer

A)   threatened democracy and should be prohibited
B)   despite the risks, were essential to an egalitarian social and political system
C)   were unlikely to form in a republic
D)   were a nuisance; placing the right to assemble in the Constitution had been a mistake because it led to the establishment of so many interest groups

Question 7

When PACs pursue the short-term goal of access to those in control of Washington's policy machinery, they will shift their contribution patterns as control of Congress shifts.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

Congressional decision makers need which of the following two related types of information before they can implement policy?

Accepted Answer

A)   technical information and political information
B)   information provided by lobbyists and information provided by other branches of government
C)   information provided by journalists and information provided by state governments
D)   substantive legal information and procedural legal information

Question 9

The fact that interest groups vary widely in wealth and how readily they can be organized for action combined with policy gridlock and political paralysis raises concerns that ______.

Accepted Answer

A)   successful lobbying subverts the basic principles of democratic equality and majority rule
B)   successful lobbying enhances the power of the executive branch at the expense of the legislature
C)   there are too many constitutional protections for lobbyists and not enough protections for ordinary citizens
D)   the panoply of interest groups creates equal outcomes because the government tries to minimize conflicts

Question 10

Regulators hope to avoid writing rules that get shot down by appeals to the courts or Congress keep in touch with politically potent groups in the sectors they regulate.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

What do the developments in farm policy and federally sponsored medical research tell us about interest groups?

Accepted Answer

A)   Only groups who have a broad agenda have influence within the political system.
B)   More complex issues and a fragmented policy process force groups to specialize to be effective.
C)   Interest groups are more successful when lobbying on narrowly focused matters of domestic policy.
D)   The only way groups can continue to convince supporters that they are effective is by developing a wide-ranging agenda that allows them to influence more policy areas.

Question 12

Why have interest groups proliferated since the 1960s?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why have interest groups proliferated since the...

Question 13

One formidable barrier to PAC influence is ______.

Accepted Answer

A)   the express prohibition in the Constitution against PACs contributing money to politicians
B)   many issues generate conflicts among interests so politicians have access to PAC money no matter what side they take
C)   the press keeps such a close watch on the financial activity of PACs and politicians and it is very hard to buy real influence
D)   the complicated reported and filing requirements of the Internal Revenue Service

Question 14

How did James Madison propose to deal with factions?

Accepted Answer

A)   by limiting the rights of free speech and free association
B)   by ensuring that every citizen has the same opinions, passions, and interests
C)   by dividing authority among federal institutions
D)   by encouraging the development of political parties

Question 15

What kind of incentives motivate individuals to contribute to groups espousing causes they care about without worrying whether their contribution will make an appreciable difference?

Accepted Answer

A)   selective
B)   personal
C)   doctrinal
D)   moral

Question 16

What factors influence the challenge of organizing collective action?

Accepted Answer

A)   scale of the group and the stakes of its involvement in public policy
B)   scale of the group and the presence of a political entrepreneur
C)   whether the problem is federal or state and whether the issues involve spending
D)   stakes of its involvement in public policy and whether the issue is new or old

Question 17

The credibility of political information provided by lobbyists to political officials is enhanced when ______.

Accepted Answer

A)   it is privately communicated rather than publicly communicated
B)   a group uses only its professional lobbyists to convey the information
C)   it comes in the form of a lengthy technical report instead of through constituent letters and postcards
D)   a group mobilizes its constituency as part of the lobbying effort

Question 18

Most successful large organizations circumvent the collective action problem by offering "selective incentives," which are ______.

Accepted Answer

A)   benefits available to everyone regardless of membership in the group
B)   in essence, the threat of some consequence to the group whenever an individual defects
C)   benefits that can be denied to individuals who do not join and contribute
D)   the foundation of the rationale behind free riding

Question 19

The formation of interest groups in the pluralist argument occurred because ______.

Accepted Answer

A)   the government controlled the means of production
B)   groups formed spontaneously whenever shared interests were threatened or could be enhanced by political action
C)   wealthy individuals were willing to bankroll interest groups that promoted the public good since the government would not
D)   the parties exercised so much control that the only way to generate more public input was through the creation of new groups

Question 20

Are members of Congress in a stronger position to influence PACs, or are PACs able to influence members of Congress? Explain the underlying logic of your answer.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Are members of Congress in a stronger...

Exam 13: Interest Groups