Deck 23: Interest Groups and Political Parties

Question 1

According to Joseph LaPalombara,which of the following is a political party?

A) A loosely connected group of people who all dream of being elected to office one day.
B) An organization of individuals who have similar ideological beliefs and wish to influence society through outreach programs.
C) A collection of people who believe that being members of the legislature is the best way to achieve policy or ideological goals.
D) An group of people organized around the idea of protecting political rights,

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT a contributing factor to the increase in interest groups over the past 50 years?

A) Expansion of formal education
B) Increased interest in social issues
C) Technological advances in communication
D) More accessible fundraising methods

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Who suggested that faction could not be banned without destroying liberty itself?

A) James Madison
B) Bernard Crick
C) Thomas Jefferson
D) Michael Oakeshott

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which term refers to former politicians,public servants,or military officers who put their expertise to work in the private sector?

A) political parties
B) political consultants
C) pressure groups
D) influence peddlers

Question 5

What is another term for certain associational groups such as association helping immigrants that are new to Canada?

A) latent groups
B) institutional groups
C) anomic groups
D) nonassociational groups

Question 6

Which group of attributes provides a comprehensive typology of pressure groups?

A) conservative, liberal, neo-democrat, reform
B) liberal, radical, socialist
C) conservationist, deep ecology, human welfare ecology
D) anomic, associational, institutional, nonassociational

Question 7

Which of the following best defines an interest group?

A) a group of individuals with a common policy focus
B) any organization that seeks to influence government policy but not to govern
C) a group of individuals seeking to control the government
D) a group providing government relations counsel to corporate clients

Question 8

Which term refers to organizations that charge membership fees that are used to support a permanent staff?

A) nonassociational groups
B) associational groups
C) institutional groups
D) anomic groups

Question 9

What is the main difference between a political party and an interest group?

A) Political parties last longer than interest groups.
B) Political parties are more highly organized.
C) Political parties seek political office, interest groups do not.
D) Interest groups are not as effectively organized as political parties.

Question 10

Which of the following social groups would NOT be considered an interest group?

A) a language exchange group that helped facilitate language education
B) a language promotion group that sought certain cultural protections from the state
C) a lawn bowling group that protested proposed commercial developments by their field
D) a sports group that sought government funding to promote healthy, active lifestyles in elementary schools

Question 11

Which of the following party types is LEAST like the other three?

A) ideological parties
B) practical parties
C) interest parties
D) movement parties

Question 12

For which reason may interest groups have difficulty attracting active members?

A) Their aims are radical.
B) There are too many of them.
C) They lobby for collective goods (the free-rider problem).
D) They lobby for individual goods.

Question 13

Which group of attributes contains all five classifications that political parties fall into?

A) pragmatic, ideological, interest, personal, movement
B) pragmatic, associational, institutional, ideological, movement
C) ideological, interest, personal, charismatic, movement
D) ideological, associational, institutional, personal, movement

Question 14

What is the first and most important goal (the primary objective)of the political party?

A) recruitment
B) aggregation
C) electoral success
D) influencing government

Question 15

Who suggested that factions should be prohibited?

A) James Madison
B) Jean-Jacques Rousseau
C) Mancur Olson
D) Lincoln Alexander

Question 16

Which of the following definitions best describes a group seeking selective benefits?

A) An organization seeking public office
B) An organization that focuses on a select few interest areas
C) An organization that seeks benefits directly related to its members
D) An organization seeking to minimize personal benefits for the public good

Question 17

What four classifications do interest groups fall into?

A) constitutional, associational, legal, anomic
B) associational, nonassociational, constitutional, anomic
C) anomic, associational, nonassociational, institutional
D) anomic, associational, formal-legal, institutional

Question 18

Which of the following groups would be most likely to write Op-Eds,letters to the editor,or use social media to promote ideas?

A) latent groups
B) consultants
C) lobbyists
D) Institutional groups

Question 19

Which of the following examples would be deemed non-associational group?

A) university students
B) The University of Calgary Student's Union
C) The Canadian Federation of Students
D) Students for Sustainability

Question 20

If the main priority of a voter was to elect a candidate from a party that could form government,which party would he or she most likely vote for?

A) an interest party
B) a practical party
C) a movement party
D) an ideological party

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT necessarily a benefit of multiparty systems?

A) Numerous ideas and interests will be incorporated into government.
B) Voters can align with parties that share similar interests.
C) Legislative and policy decisions will be made efficiently and expediently.
D) Voters will have more options at the polls.

Question 22

Political parties often let only members vote in party leadership elections.The Liberal Party of Canada has decided to open the vote to non-members,and allow any interested Canadian citizens to participate in the election.Which thinker would most clearly support this decision?

A) James Madison
B) Jean-Jacques Rousseau
C) Mancur Olsen
D) Roberto Michels

Question 23

The opposition party opposes a proposal by the government to toughen crime laws,stating that this ideological policy.However,after the opposition wins the next election,it introduces legislation that effectively makes it more difficult to get parole for certain crimes.Which of the following explanations for this scenario makes the most sense?

A) Both parties are ideological parties.
B) The opposition party is an ideological party.
C) The opposition party is a practical party.
D) Both parties are practical parties.

Question 24

Which phrase best describes the Liberal Party of Canada?

A) an ideological party
B) a movement party
C) a pragmatic party
D) an interest party

Question 25

Historically,which political process has had the greatest impact on the development of modern political parties?

A) the transformation of the Whigs and the Tories into the Liberals Conservatives
B) the demise of property franchise in England
C) the creation of federalism
D) the abolition of the monarch as head of government

Question 26

In which type of regime would a single-party system most likely be found?

A) liberal democracy
B) totalitarian
C) federation
D) unitary

Question 27

Which term best categorizes Alberta's electoral history?

A) a single-party system
B) a one-party dominant system
C) a two-party system
D) a multiparty system

Question 28

Which term refers to an organization aiming for profound social change,which evolves into a political party?

A) a revolutionary party
B) an interest party
C) a movement party
D) a personal party

Question 29

Which of the following is NOT a function that political parties provide for the political system?

A) guaranteeing electoral success
B) the aggregation of interests
C) connecting the government and the people
D) providing a forum to reconcile conflicting interests

Question 30

There are several reasons political parties as we know them today did not exist at the time of the Whigs and Tories in Britain.Which of the following in NOT one of those reasons?

A) The franchise was limited so fewer people participated in politics.
B) People who were interested in politics could become involved through smaller groups, like members of a private clubs.
C) With only two main ideological groups there was no need for political parties.
D) There was not the same demand for political organizations that would cater to the general public as there is today.

Question 31

What is the term for a political system in which alternative parties are legal,but a single political party dominates the political process?

A) one-party-dominant system
B) single-party system
C) monopoly system
D) state party system

Question 32

What is the term for a group that feels that it can best achieve its ends by acting as a party rather than trying to influence existing parties?

A) an ideological party
B) a movement party
C) a pragmatic party
D) an interest party

Question 33

Political parties do many things.However,which of the following activities should they focus the majority of their efforts on?

A) to nominate candidates
B) to organize legislative proposals in the assembly
C) to influence voters during campaigns
D) to provide a training ground for political leaders

Question 34

Which term refers to a party which is founded around a single,influential leader?

A) a personal party
B) a leadership unity
C) an ideological party
D) a movement party

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT a determinant of interest group influence?

A) numbers
B) cohesion
C) organizational skills
D) electoral success

Question 36

What process has occurred when different ideas or desires are collected into one program?

A) assimilation
B) unification
C) association
D) aggregation

Question 37

Which term refers to a system in which two parties are capable of winning an election,and third parties receive a significant but minor share of the vote?

A) a multi-party system
B) a one-party-dominant system
C) a single-party system
D) a two-party-plus system

Question 38

Which term refers to loose organizations of groups and individuals working to bring about wholesale change by influencing multiple actors,including governments,business,and individuals?

A) social movements
B) interest groups
C) lobby groups
D) political parties

Question 39

Which of the following is NOT necessarily a benefit of the two-party,or two-party plus,systems?

A) Government stability is more likely.
B) In systems with confidence votes, fewer elections will be caused by non-confidence votes.
C) Parties will incorporate numerous interests into their platforms.
D) Legislation will be debated and compromises will be made between conflicting interest groups.

Question 40

Which type of political party is the Congress Party of India an example of?

A) ideological party
B) pragmatic party
C) interest party
D) movement party

Question 41

A group that charges a membership fee that is used to support a permanent staff is known as an anomic group.

Question 42

Certain associational groups,like minority-language associations,might also be called institutional.

Question 43

According to LaPalombara,a political party is actually an informal organization.

Question 44

Groups that try to influence governments and bring about wider social change are called __________.

Question 45

The first and most important goal (the primary objective)of the political party is ________.

Question 46

The personal party is a political party that is founded around a single,influential political leader.

Question 47

A political party that is based not on a set of principles or a doctrine but on programs that it believes have the greatest appeal to the public is called a _________ party

Question 48

In a one-party-dominant state,a single political party dominates the political process without the official support of the state.

Question 49

Nonassociational groups are unorganized groups made up of individuals based on common identity.

Question 50

Political parties evolved in nineteenth-century Britain with the extension of the franchise.

Question 51

Organizations closely associated with government are known as institutional groups.

Question 52

In practice,two-party-plus party systems are the same as multiparty systems.

Question 53

Political parties are very old,dating back to the Greek polis.

Question 54

Interest groups may also be called pressure groups.

Question 55

In a multiparty system,three or more political parties have a realistic chance of participating in government.

Question 56

Loose organizations of groups and individuals working to bring about wholesale change by influencing multiple actors,including governments,business,and individuals are called social movements.

Question 57

Groups that try to capture the reins of power of government are known as political ________.

Question 58

The first and most important goal of a political party in a democratic system is electoral success.

Question 59

Spontaneous groups formed by citizens concerned about a specific issue are called anomic groups.

Question 60

Organizations that do not seek to govern but attempt to influence government (for example,by persuading public officials to enact legislation)are called __________ groups.The four types of such groups are: __________,__________,__________,and __________.

Question 61

The Congress Party of India and the Bloc Québécois in Canada are good examples of _____________ parties.

Question 62

A political party for which doctrine takes precedence over electoral success is called _____________.

Question 63

What makes an interest group powerful? Why are some groups more influential than others?

Question 64

In your opinion,are political parties or interest groups more effective means of political participation? Why?

Question 65

Political parties can be classified in five ways ____________,_____________,_____________,_____________,_____________.

Question 66

Compare and contrast the roles and functions of political parties and interest groups in the Canadian political process.

Question 67

Define and explain the significance of political consultants and lobbying.

Question 68

Former politicians,public servants,or military officers who put their expertise to work in the private sector are known as political _________.After they have been retired from public service long enough to avoid charges of conflict of interest,they may also engage in ________.

Question 69

Compare and contrast the different types of party systems.In your opinion,which system provides the effective means of political participation for the average voter,and why?

Question 70

A political system in which alternative parties are legal but a single political party dominates the political process is called a ________ system.

Question 71

What explains the proliferation of interest groups? Is there a negative aspect to interest group politics?

Question 72

In a _____________system,three or more political parties have a realistic chance of participating in government

Question 73

What are the most important functions of political parties in the Canadian political process?

Question 74

Define interest groups and survey the fourfold typology used for classifying such groups.

Question 75

Compare and contrast the similarities and differences between an interest group and a social movement.

Question 76

A political party founded on a single influential leader is called a ____________ party.