Question 1

Surveys show that more than of Americans belong to at least one group.

Accepted Answer

A)   25 percent
B)   31 percent
C)   45 percent
D)   62 percent
E)   85 percent E

Question 2

MoveOn and the Club for Growth are interest groups.

Accepted Answer

A)   business
B)   identity
C)   ideological
D)   agricultural
E)   consumer C

Question 3

Which of the following is a private good?

Accepted Answer

A)   Sitting in a park
B)   Driving to work or school on a highway
C)   Drinking tap water
D)   Eating a sandwich
E)   National defense D

Question 4

is an indirect technique used by interest groups to influence public policy.

Accepted Answer

A)   Making personal contacts with key legislators
B)   Offering "expert" testimony before congressional committees
C)   Following up on legislation
D)   Providing legal advice to legislators
E)   Using rating systems

Question 5

The American Civil Liberties Union is considered a(n) group.

Accepted Answer

A)   public-interest
B)   labor interest
C)   professional interest
D)   identity interest
E)   single-issue interest

Question 6

A difference between public sector unions and private sector unions is that public sector unions

Accepted Answer

A)   suffer from declining membership.
B)   have the ability to negotiate greater pensions and benefits.
C)   do not get to vote for their bosses.
D)   have the right to strike over wages and working conditions.
E)   are reluctant to antagonize elected officials.

Question 7

The is a professional interest group.

Accepted Answer

A)   National Farmers Union
B)   Club for Growth
C)   National Rifle Association
D)   American Bar Association
E)   National Urban League

Question 8

A material incentive for joining an interest group is best described as

Accepted Answer

A)   pleasure in associating with like-minded individuals.
B)   satisfaction resulting from working for a cause in which one believes.
C)   a practical benefit such as discounts, subscriptions, or group insurance.
D)   the ability to enjoy the outcome of a group's efforts without having to contribute.
E)   the opportunity to compete for public office.

Question 9

The American Association for Justice represents the interests of

Accepted Answer

A)   trial lawyers.
B)   children.
C)   environmentalists.
D)   persons of color.
E)   senior citizens.

Question 10

The NRA has successfully used the technique of to fight strict federal gun control legislation by delivering half a million letters to Congress within a few weeks.

Accepted Answer

A)   mobilizing constituents
B)   staging demonstrations
C)   providing expertise and research results for legislators
D)   making personal contacts with key legislators
E)   following up on legislation

Question 11

Interest group activity

Accepted Answer

A)   occurs only in the legislative branch.
B)   can be found on every level and in every branch of government.
C)   is confined to the executive and legislative branches of government.
D)   is barred within the judiciary.
E)   is barred from all government offices.

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT a public good?

Accepted Answer

A)   National defense
B)   A good sandwich
C)   Clean water
D)   National parks
E)   Clean air

Question 13

Interest groups

Accepted Answer

A)   often provide public officials with specialized and detailed information that might be difficult to obtain otherwise.
B)   run candidates for political office.
C)   are policy generalists.
D)   operate the government.
E)   compete for public office.

Question 14

Satisfaction that is derived from taking action as part of a group is referred to as a incentive.

Accepted Answer

A)   free-rider
B)   purposive
C)   pluralist
D)   solidary
E)   material

Question 15

The Supreme Court has made it clear that the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech

Accepted Answer

A)   does not include protection for interest groups to set forth their positions on issues.
B)   protects interest groups' rights to set forth their positions on issues only when their messages are coordinated with a candidate's campaign or a political party.
C)   protects issue advocacy as long as that advocacy is coordinated with a candidate's campaign or a political party.
D)   protects interest groups' rights to set forth their positions on issues when they fund such activities through independent expenditures that are not coordinated with a candidate's campaign or a political party.
E)   does not include protection for issue ads.

Question 16

Pluralists maintain that the influence of interest groups on government is not undemocratic, because

Accepted Answer

A)   individual interests are indirectly represented in the policymaking process through these groups.
B)   every group enjoys the same success in gaining access to members of Congress.
C)   interest group lobbyists are elected by the people.
D)   groups have equal numbers of members and the same level of resources.
E)   free riders provide the funds necessary to promote the interests of all citizens.

Question 17

The Right to Life organization is a(n) interest group.

Accepted Answer

A)   consumer
B)   identity
C)   ideological
D)   single-issue
E)   government

Question 18

An indirect method of lobbying the courts is

Accepted Answer

A)   filing a lawsuit.
B)   asking Congress to withhold funding.
C)   known as pluralism.
D)   organizing to win elections.
E)   filing an amicus curiae brief.

Question 19

A direct payment to farmers for growing certain crops is called .

Accepted Answer

A)   a subsidy
B)   a farm bill
C)   crop insurance
D)   disaster assistance
E)   a conservation program

Question 20

Lobbying refers to

Accepted Answer

A)   shaping public opinion through online campaigns.
B)   all of the indirect techniques used by interest groups to influence government officials.
C)   all of the attempts by organizations or by individuals to influence the passage, defeat, or contents of legislation, or to influence the administrative decisions of government.
D)   evaluating the performance of legislators based on how often they have voted with an interest group's position on particular issues.
E)   peaceful demonstrations designed to make a statement about a group's interests.

Exam 6: Interest Groups