Deck 10: Interest Groups

Question 1

According to James Madison,a __________ is a group of individuals concerned more with their self-interest than with the rights of individuals outside the group or with the needs of society as a whole.

A)faction
B)political party.
C)single-issue organization
D)special interest group

Answer 1

faction

Question 2

Which of the following is hyperpluralists' main criticism of the interest group system?

A)Government is too deferential to interest groups' demands.
B)Interest groups are too weak to have much influence in government.
C)Elected officials are unresponsive to requests from interest groups.
D)Labor unions tend to dominate over other types of interest groups.

Answer 2

Government is too deferential to interest groups' demands.

Question 3

The __________ problem occurs when people fail to join a group because they can get the benefits the group offers without contributing to the group's efforts.

A)free-rider
B)pluralist
C)collective goods.
D)group coordination

Answer 3

free-rider

Question 4

When a case that an interest group is interested in comes before the Supreme Court,the group can __________.

A)meet with judges to explain the group's policy preferences
B)file an amicus curiae brief in support of one side of the case
C)appeal the case to a higher court.
D)legally offer monetary incentives to the justices as long as the interest group is not a party to the case

Question 5

What is a trade association?

A)an organization that represents the federal government during the negotiation of international trade agreements
B)an organization that coordinates exchanges of information and resources among multiple interest groups
C)a type of labor union.
D)an organization that represents businesses within a specific industry

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of a public interest lobby?

A)a consumer rights group
B)a trade association
C)a labor union.
D)a group representing alpaca ranchers

Question 7

In order to overcome the free-rider problem,many interest groups offer selective benefits.What are selective benefits?

A)the policies that interest groups help to bring about
B)gifts given to members of Congress in return for their support on legislation.
C)benefits given only to group members
D)campaign contributions to elected officials

Question 8

What is an amicus curiae brief?

A)a written argument submitted to a court in support of one side of a case
B)an internal memo circulated among interest group leaders,briefing them on the details of a court case
C)a petition submitted to Congress in support of or opposition to a judicial nominee
D)a petition submitted to an executive branch agency,requesting a review of the agency's decision.

Question 9

What do right-to-work laws uphold?

A)amicus curiae briefs
B)workers' rights to collective goods
C)the requirement that workers in a union shop must join the union.
D)workers' freedom to decline the opportunity to join a union

Question 10

James Madison described how a government could be designed to control the effects of __________.

A)monarchies
B)factions
C)representative government
D)aristocracies

Question 11

A(n) __________ refers to an organization of people with shared policy goals entering the policy process at several points to try to achieve those goals.

A)corporation.
B)interest group
C)iron triangle.
D)faction

Question 12

What is an iron triangle?

A)a joining together of interest groups or individuals to achieve common goals
B)a form of sub government composed of leaders of interest groups,government agencies,and congressional committees
C)a nonprofit,tax-free policy planning organization that concentrates on policy development
D)an organization that solicits and receives campaign contributions from corporations,unions,trade associations,and other groups.

Question 13

What is a Political Action Committee (PAC)?

A)an organization within a political party that coordinates campaign events.
B)an organizations that focuses on grassroots lobbying
C)an organization that conducts voter registration drives
D)an organization that solicits campaign contributions from like-minded individuals and distributes them to political candidates

Question 14

Which of the following raise money from individuals and then distribute it in the form of contributions to political candidates?

A)527 organizations.
B)coordinating committees
C)iron triangles
D)Political Action Committees (PACs)

Question 15

What is lobbying?

A)communication as a representative of a group with government officials to persuade them to support a particular policy
B)conducting surveys to gauge public opinion on a policy issue
C)convincing potential members to join an interest group by offering them material benefits.
D)fundraising for political candidates and educating the public about the activities of government

Question 16

Elitists generally argue that __________.

A)all legitimate groups are able to affect public policy by one means or another.
B)corporations hold tremendous power
C)the American political terrain is characterized by a dispersion of power
D)the government is run for the benefit of all the people

Question 17

Which of the following is the main type of organization that lobbies on behalf of workers?

A)public interest group
B)trade association.
C)union shop
D)labor union

Question 18

Which of the following statements best represents the hyperpluralist view?

A)All legitimate interests in the political system can get a hearing from government once they are organized.
B)Awesome power is held by the largest corporations.
C)There are too many special interest groups getting too much of what they want.
D)When one group throws its weight around too much,its opponents are likely to intensify their organization and thus restore balance to the system.

Question 19

Generally speaking,Political Action Committee (PAC) and Super PAC contributions have __________.

A)become increasingly important in congressional elections
B)decreased for incumbents but increased for challengers and open seats.
C)become less important in federal elections and more important in state elections
D)become less important

Question 20

What is a public interest lobby?

A)a group that conducts research and analysis on public policy issues
B)a group that expresses its political views publicly
C)a group that believes it is working to benefit society as a whole
D)a group that represents workers within a particular industry.

Question 21

How did James Madison propose to overcome the problem of factions in Federalist No.10?

A)by adopting a system of direct democracy.
B)by banning the formation of interest groups
C)by discouraging citizens from expressing their political views in public
D)by expanding their sphere of participation

Question 22

What are Political Action Committees (PACs) seeking when they give campaign contributions?

A)illegal kickbacks.
B)public recognition for their contributions to society
C)access to the officeholder
D)publicity for their favorite charities and nonprofit organizations.

Question 23

Which of the following argue that the formation of so many influential interest groups has made it increasingly difficult to accomplish major policy change in Washington?

A)Elitists
B)Federalists
C)hyperpluralists
D)labor unions

Question 24

Which of the following interest groups is an example of an equality interest?

A)the United Auto Workers
B)the National Organization for Women
C)the World Wildlife Fund
D)Common Cause.

Question 25

How did the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 affect lobbyists?

A)It limited the number of hours each lobbyist could work during a single session of Congress.
B)It required all lobbyists to join the Labor Union of American Lobbyists and Government Relations Experts.
C)It set limits on how many lobbyists could be employed by a PAC.
D)It required lobbyists to file a report detailing the sources of their lobbying income.

Question 26

Which of the following is a typical way for lobbyists to seek to influence members of Congress?

A)by offering them money to vote a particular way.
B)by filing amicus curiae briefs
C)by organizing protests and demonstrations on Capitol Hill
D)by providing specialized expertise

Question 27

Which of the following is an example of the free-rider problem?

A)a political action committee contributing to candidates from both major political parties.
B)an elected official relying on information from lobbyists
C)an environmentalist deciding not to join an environmental group but appreciating the group's environmental stewardship
D)an environmental group disagreeing on what policy goals to pursue

Question 28

Which of the following is a pluralist belief?

A)Only wealthy interests have influence over government decisions.
B)Government decisions reflect the preferences of elites.
C)A rough approximation of the public interest emerges from competition between groups.
D)Policymakers care more about public opinion than interest groups' preferences.

Question 29

What type of group is a trade association?

A)an economic interest group
B)a public interest group
C)a public sector interest group
D)a labor union.

Question 30

Why are campaign contributions so important for interest groups seeking to influence government?

A)Legislators only grant meetings with interest groups that offer campaign contributions.
B)Members of Congress are better listeners when hearing from interests that financially supported their campaign.
C)Groups can offer contributions in return for favorable votes on pending legislation.
D)Organizations seeking to offer input on a political party's platform are required to make campaign contributions.

Question 31

An interest group filing an amicus curiae brief is an example of __________.

A)grassroots lobbying.
B)how interest groups influence elections
C)lobbying an executive branch agency
D)lobbying the judicial branch

Question 32

Critics of pluralism have noted that __________.

A)government decisions reflect the balance of competing interests in society.
B)power is concentrated in the hands of the few
C)individuals with shared grievances usually form interest groups to press their demands upon government
D)the formation of one group typically stimulates the formation of an opposing group

Question 33

What does intensity contribute to the success of an interest group?

A)Intensity often leads groups to advocate for more than they can realistically get,and the final result is that they get nothing.
B)Intense interest group members often scare away other potential members with less intense beliefs.
C)Politicians are more likely to listen to a group showing intensity.
D)Intensity weeds out the free riders in a group,resulting in a more heterogeneous group.

Question 34

You are the leader of an environmental organization working to address the problem of climate change.What would be the most effective way to overcome the free-rider problem?

A)Describe the harmful consequences of global warming.
B)Explain how future generations will benefit from enacting climate change legislation.
C)Offer a T-shirt as an incentive to join the group.
D)Publicly criticize those who don't join the group.

Question 35

Which of the following is an example of a single-issue interest group?

A)the National Abortion Rights Action League.
B)the Chamber of Commerce.
C)Common Cause
D)the National Wholesalers Association

Question 36

How do interest groups lobby the courts?

A)through letter-writing campaigns addressed to particular judges
B)by publishing editorials in major newspapers stating their views on cases
C)by bringing lawsuits to the courts on behalf of classes of citizens
D)by meeting with judges to express their views on cases.

Question 37

What is one of the reasons that interest groups have proliferated over the past half century?

A)Developments in technology made interest group activities easier.
B)The increasing power of political parties led to more interest group formation.
C)A decrease in the scope of government brought out interest groups seeking to protect their interests.
D)Legal restrictions on lobbying activities were lifted as part of the New Deal.

Question 38

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

A)the National Rifle Association
B)the American Association of Retired People (AARP).
C)the Chamber of Commerce
D)the National Education Association

Question 39

Which of the following is an activity that lobbyists regularly engage in?

A)answering e-mails from elected officials' constituents
B)speaking on behalf of elected officials at press conferences.
C)providing elected officials with innovative ideas for addressing a policy problem
D)providing legal counsel to interest groups in court cases

Question 40

What is the main goal of each of the three elements of an iron triangle?

A)abolishing free-riders
B)creating more opportunities for collective action.
C)fostering democratic deliberation
D)protecting their self-interests

Question 41

Which of the following statements about campaign contributions made by corporate PACs to candidates for the U.S.House of Representatives is true?

A)In each race,corporate PACs direct their donations to support whichever candidate most closely shares their ideological values.
B)Corporate PACs give most of their contributions to Democrats.
C)A majority of corporate PAC contributions to House candidates go to the candidates of the majority party.
D)Corporate PACs give most of their money to those running for open seats.

Question 42

Which is a consequence of hyperpluralism?

A)reduced agency budgets
B)termination of government programs
C)contradictory and confusing policies
D)growth in the number of political parties.

Question 43

In which of the following might Political Action Committees (PACs) invest their contributions in order to maximize their political influence?

A)members of the minority party in Congress.
B)challengers
C)incumbents
D)presidential candidates

Question 44

Which type of organization would find it easiest to overcome the free-rider problem?

A)an environmental organization working to pass climate change legislation
B)a labor union in a state where union membership is optional.
C)a trade association for a small industry
D)a national organization fighting for women's rights

Question 45

What is the main objective of most labor unions?

A)to protect consumers from unsafe products
B)to protect the interests of businesses within an industry.
C)to promote better working conditions and higher wages
D)to provide jobs for the unemployed