Deck 4: Interest Groups: the Power Behind the Dome

Question 1

"Weak political parties enhance the influence of interest groups in California politics." Explain this statement and consider how group power in California would be affected by stronger political parties.

Answer 1

no answer

Question 2

The Political Reform Act of 1974 has successfully curbed interest group activity.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

The California state Constitution is a major obstacle to interest group influence.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Direct democracy is a group tactic used almost exclusively by grassroots citizen groups.

Question 5

California is seen by many analysts as a state where interest groups dominate politics.How and why could this be so? Is it good or bad? What are the implications for California's political institutions and citizens?

Question 6

Interest groups have been routinely restrained in California by the state's strong party system.

Question 7

Which of the following interest group activities involves the judicial process?

A)initiative circulation
B)litigation
C)lobbying
D)assimilation

Question 8

The California Abortion Rights Action League is an example of

A)a public interest group.
B)a Democratic affiliate.
C)a single issue group.
D)an umbrella organization.

Question 9

The Sierra Club is an example of

A)an umbrella organization.
B)a Republican party affiliate.
C)a single issue group.
D)a public interest group.

Question 10

The term "lobbying" refers to the activity that once went on in the lobbies adjacent to the legislative chambers.

Question 11

Why are some groups more successful than others? Which sorts of interest groups are most likely to succeed in California's political environment? Why? Are there ways to neutralize or offset these "successes"?

Question 12

Information, persuasion, and knowledge of the legislative process are now as important to lobbyists as money.

Question 13

The technique of a group representative meeting with individual legislators is called

A)lobbying.
B)litigation.
C)direct democracy.
D)"targeting."

Question 14

The greatest strength of demographic interest groups is the size of their memberships.

Question 15

Local governments often act like interest groups by lobbying state government and hiring contract lobbyists.

Question 16

Interest groups

A)protect the shared objectives of their members.
B)are extensions of political parties.
C)serve as bureaucratic components of state government.
D)were ruled unconstitutional in Davis v.Planned Parenthood.

Question 17

Interest groups often attempt to influence legislators, but not elections.

Question 18

Consumer groups are an example of public interest groups.

Question 19

Most lobbyists today are

A)citizens crusading for a cause.
B)skilled professionals for whom lobbying is a career.
C)active members of the group they represent.
D)generous hosts who lavish food, drink and gifts on legislators.