Question 1

In the context of American democracy, which of the following is true of majoritarianism?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is a belief that public policy should be in accordance with the opinion of the most powerful in the nation. 
B)  It is popular but political scientists find it to be a startlingly poor description of how politics actually works. 
C)  It is believed to contain elements of truth and practicality. 
D)  It contends that the government is controlled by one or more elite groups. 
E)  It supports the elite theory that explains how politics works.

Question 2

Discuss the major provisions of the Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act of 1946 and the reasons why it failed to regulate lobbying to a great degree.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss the major provisions of the Federal...

Question 3

The _____ banned unlimited donations to campaigns and political parties, called soft money.

Accepted Answer

A)  Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 
B)  Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 
C)  Trade Act of 2002 
D)  Foreign Investment and National Security Act of 2007 
E)  Economic Stimulus Act of 2008

Question 4

Which of the following is true of interest group representatives or lobbyists?

Accepted Answer

A)  Their movement between their groups' headquarters and congressional offices is restricted. 
B)  They are frequently asked to testify before congressional committees on the effect or potential effect of particular legislation. 
C)  They are seldom consulted when Congress formulates new regulations. 
D)  Since interest groups are a temporary feature of American government, lobbying has not yet developed into a profession. 
E)  A professional lobbyist can represent only a single interest group throughout his or her career.

Question 5

Lobbying is best defined as:

Accepted Answer

A)  the attempts to shape public opinion through online campaigns. 
B)  the indirect techniques used by government officials to gain the confidence of interest groups. 
C)  the direct attempts by individuals or organizations to influence administrative decisions of government. 
D)  the peaceful demonstrations that are designed to make a statement about a group's interests. 
E)  the evaluation of performance of legislators based on how often they have voted with an interest group's position on particular issues.

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of a professional interest group?

Accepted Answer

A)  The American Political Science Association 
B)  The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 
C)  The National Urban League 
D)  The Tea Party movement 
E)  The National Wildlife Federation

Question 7

_____ maintain that the influence of interest groups on government is not undemocratic because individual interests are indirectly represented in the policymaking process through these groups.

Accepted Answer

A)  Marxists 
B)  Textualists 
C)  Naturalists 
D)  Pluralists 
E)  Secularists

Question 8

Interest groups may form-and existing groups may become more politically active-when:

Accepted Answer

A)  the number of privately owned companies increases. 
B)  the government expands its scope of activities. 
C)  the government fails and there is anarchy. 
D)  the president declares an emergency. 
E)  the private sector increases its scope of activities.

Question 9

If a group stands for something that an individual believes is very important, he or she can gain considerable satisfaction in taking action from within that group. Such satisfaction is referred to as a solidary incentive.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Which of the following is a purpose of interest groups in American politics?

Accepted Answer

A)  They help bridge the gap between citizens and government. 
B)  They help conduct campaigns for candidates of primary elections. 
C)  They restrict citizens from taking action on certain issues. 
D)  They dictate the duties of government officials. 
E)  They keep the public from interfering in government affairs.

Question 11

The National Rifle Association is an example of a(n) _____.

Accepted Answer

A)  executive department 
B)  regulatory agency 
C)  interest group 
D)  statutory corporation 
E)  independent agency

Question 12

The freedom to form interest groups and to lobby the government is protected by _____.

Accepted Answer

A)  the Twenty-fourth Amendment 
B)  Magna Carta 
C)  the Bill of Rights 
D)  the Massachusetts Body of Liberties 
E)  the Seventeenth Amendment

Question 13

Which of the following statements is true of right-to-work laws?

Accepted Answer

A)  These laws have helped reduce the free rider problem for unions. 
B)  These laws ban foreign immigrants from being promoted to high managerial positions in a government organization. 
C)  These laws are followed by 45 states in the United States. 
D)  These laws ban unions from collecting dues from workers whom they represent but who have not joined the union. 
E)  These laws have made it compulsory for workers over the age of 35 to join unions.

Question 14

Recently, Shelly joined the Comato Group, an interest group that advocates the consumption of organic food and speaks against the use of chemicals in farming. Shelly claims that the benefits offered by the group to its members are what motivated her to join the group. The member benefits include a free supply of ingredients for organic farming and discounts on organic food products. What type of incentive motivated Shelly to join The Comato Group?

Accepted Answer

A)  Purposive incentive 
B)  Solidary incentive 
C)  Intangible incentive 
D)  Material incentive 
E)  Immaterial incentive

Question 15

_________ for a special interest can be easier to obtain than subsidies because the former do not look like government spending. 
A) Tax breaks 
B) Categorical grants 
C) Block grants 
D) Perverse incentives

Accepted Answer

The answer of _________ for a special interest can be...

Question 16

In March 2010, the _____ banned earmarks that benefit profit-making corporations.

Accepted Answer

A)  Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act 
B)  Republican-led House Appropriations Committee 
C)  Honest Leadershipand Open Government Act 
D)  Lobbying Disclosure Act 
E)  Democratic National Committee

Question 17

The right to _____ is as important and fundamental to the American democracy as the other First Amendment rights.

Accepted Answer

A)  petition the government 
B)  keepand bear arms 
C)  a speedy trial 
D)  protection from unreasonable searches and seizures 
E)  protection from actions by state governments

Question 18

Live and Teach Better is an interest group that has been lobbying members of Congress to improve the health benefits of teachers in Wisconsin. Only about 20 percent of the total number of teachers in Wisconsin are members of the groupand contribute to it. Recently, it was successful in getting better health benefits for teachers throughout the city. Even though most of the teachers in the city did not make an effort to help the members of the interest group, they were able to enjoy the improved health benefit plans. In this scenario, the members of the interest group is faced with the issue known as the _____.

Accepted Answer

A)  dispersed cost problem 
B)  union decline problem 
C)  free rider problem 
D)  independent expenditure problem 
E)  free access problem

Question 19

Indirect techniques of influencing government policy can be particularly effective because:

Accepted Answer

A)  they provide a large amount of election support to public officials. 
B)  they require considerably less effort from interest groups than direct methods. 
C)  public officials are often more impressed by contacts from voters than from lobbyists. 
D)  they are better planned than direct lobbying techniques. 
E)  lobbyists demand more benefits than common voters.

Question 20

_________ contends that, as a practical matter, the government is controlled by one or more exclusive groups, typically drawn from the wealthiest members of society. 
A) Disturbance theory 
B) Elite theory 
C) Naturalist theory 
D) Entrepreneurial theory

Accepted Answer

The answer of _________ contends that, as a practical matter,...

Exam 6: Interest Groups