Question 1

There are no legal restrictions on lobbying by former Texas governors or legislatures.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

Question 2

Redistricting and scandal are the two greatest threats to an incumbent's electoral advantage.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

Question 3

Which PACs spend the least amount of money in Texas elections?

Accepted Answer

A)   single-issue PACs
B)   labor unions
C)   business groups
D)   lawyers
E)   consumer groups B

Question 4

Interest groups in Texas are not allowed to run paid advertisements in the media.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Not all interests are equally represented in Texas politics. Describe which interest groups have the most political clout, and why. What are some interests that are not well represented in Texas, and why is this the case? What have been some practical effects of these differences in lobbying power?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Not all interests are equally represented in...

Question 6

The 8F Crowd was

Accepted Answer

A)   an influential cartel of political activists who wrote the Texas Constitution of 1876.
B)   a loose but influential group of Texas businessmen.
C)   the first Latino civil rights organization in Texas.
D)   a group of corrupt politicians dependent on bribery during the early twentieth century.
E)   a group of eight Florida businessmen who came to Texas hoping to get elected to the Texas legislature.

Question 7

To avoid conflicts of interest, all lobbyists in Texas are required to represent only a single client.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

Interest groups representing labor organizations dominate Texas politics.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

It is vital for lobbyists to gain access to politicians and policy makers. 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?

Accepted Answer

The answer of It is vital for lobbyists to gain...

Question 10

All of the following are benefits an interest group has over private citizens except

Accepted Answer

A)   interest groups have staffs with greater expertise than one person can have.
B)   individuals often do not have the necessary time to lobby government.
C)   interest groups have greater legitimacy with politicians than citizens do.
D)   interest groups usually have access to more money and other material resources than individual citizens.
E)   interest groups provide a way for individuals to pool money together to get more "bang for the buck."

Question 11

Few large interest groups in Texas represent the environment.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Some have accused interest groups and lobbyists of undue influence over Texas government. Describe some of the regulations and restrictions that the law has placed upon lobbyists and interest groups operating in Texas.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Some have accused interest groups and lobbyists...

Question 13

Bribery is

Accepted Answer

A)   a common practice with lobbyists.
B)   legal as long as the payoff is publicized.
C)   a rare, but not unheard of, problem in Texas today.
D)   most commonly offered in the form of steak dinners.
E)   unheard of in Texas politics due to the stiff penalties involved.

Question 14

What does it mean for an interest group to "get on the late train"?

Accepted Answer

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 PAC 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.
E)   The group donates money to a campaign that eventually loses the election.

Question 15

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

Accepted Answer

A)   interest group.
B)   political action committee.
C)   campaign revenue association.
D)   advocacy association.
E)   8F crowd.

Question 16

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

Accepted Answer

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."
E)   They were legislators who were in the pocket of the meat-packing industry.

Question 17

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

Accepted Answer

A)   professional
B)   pubic employee
C)   public interest
D)   ideological
E)   civil rights

Question 18

On average, incumbents in the Texas House of Representatives are able to fund-raise ______ challengers.

Accepted Answer

A)   50 percent more than
B)   twice as much as
C)   three times the amount of
D)   five times as much as
E)   ten times as much as

Question 19

What is the function of EMILY's List?

Accepted Answer

A)   It provides early campaign funding for female candidates.
B)   It is the largest victims' rights group in Texas.
C)   It is designed to help raise money for the Texas teachers' unions.
D)   It is a PAC that raises money from the petrochemical industry.
E)   It is an organization that lobbies for more government efforts to stop child abduction.

Question 20

Which of the following is not a common way for interest groups to gain access to politicians and policy makers?

Accepted Answer

A)   hiring former politicians as lobbyists
B)   spending money on entertaining politicians
C)   building support on an issue with constituents
D)   forming PACs that allow members to bundle large contributions to candidates
E)   running for office themselves

Exam 22: Interest Groups and Lobbying

There are no legal restrictions on lobbying by former Texas governors or legislatures.

Redistricting and scandal are the two greatest threats to an incumbent's electoral advantage.

Which PACs spend the least amount of money in Texas elections?

Interest groups in Texas are not allowed to run paid advertisements in the media.

Not all interests are equally represented in Texas politics. Describe which interest groups have the most political clout, and why. What are some interests that are not well represented in Texas, and why is this the case? What have been some practical effects of these differences in lobbying power?

The 8F Crowd was

To avoid conflicts of interest, all lobbyists in Texas are required to represent only a single client.

Interest groups representing labor organizations dominate Texas politics.

It is vital for lobbyists to gain access to politicians and policy makers. 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?

All of the following are benefits an interest group has over private citizens except

Few large interest groups in Texas represent the environment.

Some have accused interest groups and lobbyists of undue influence over Texas government. Describe some of the regulations and restrictions that the law has placed upon lobbyists and interest groups operating in Texas.

Bribery is

What does it mean for an interest group to "get on the late train"?

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

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

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

On average, incumbents in the Texas House of Representatives are able to fund-raise ______ challengers.

What is the function of EMILY's List?

Which of the following is not a common way for interest groups to gain access to politicians and policy makers?