Deck 11: Interest Groups

Question 1

Which of the following is an element of interest and pressure groups?

A) They do not seek to nominate candidates nor seek responsibility for the management of government.
B) They are special sections of political parties.
C) They seek to nominate candidates and seek responsibility for the management of government.
D) They do not promote their interests by attempting to influence government.
E) They are not private associations.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which term refers to groups of citizens whose goals and behaviours are contrary to those of other groups and to the interests of the community as a whole?

A) Political factions
B) Fringe groups
C) Sects
D) Marginalized factions
E) Marginalized groups

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following is not true of interest groups?

A) Group characteristics or the sharing of similar values may provide the basis for the political organization of interests.
B) Interest groups can form around group concerns like language, religion, race, and gender as well as around economic interests.
C) Interest groups are distinguished by the fact that they seek to promote goals that are not shared by all members of society.
D) The success of interest groups in achieving their goals often depends on their ability to associate their efforts with the broader public interest.
E) There are about 250 interest groups in Canada currently.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

What does E.E. Schattschneider argue about the interest group system?

A) It has a welfare state and upper-class bias.
B) It has a welfare state and middle-class bias.
C) It has a business and upper-class bias.
D) It has a welfare state and working-class bias.
E) It has a business and middle-class bias.

Question 5

According to Charles Lindblom, why does business occupy a "privileged position" in the politics of capitalist societies?

A) Because of business' propagandistic activities that reinforce the ideological dominance of business values in society
B) Because of business' lesser financial resources and lobbying organizations
C) Because of business' positions on the stock market
D) Because of business' large staffs
E) Because of business' lack of access to government officials

Question 6

Which of the following is not true about the mobility of capital?

A) It means that business interests are always successful in lobbying for their claims.
B) It depends very much on investors' willingness to invest within a particular political-economic climate.
C) It gives rise to concern with business confidence, which politicians care about because unemployment may lead to failure in elections.
D) It is one of the most oft-cited factors to explain the superiority of business interests.
E) The epitome of capital mobility is found in transnational corporations.

Question 7

The post-pluralism or neo-institutionalist approach is based on the notion that policy-making is based on which of the following?

A) A policy community centred around a sub-government
B) A constituency base centred around a sub-government
C) A constituency base centred around a national government
D) A policy community centred around a national government
E) Two levels of government

Question 8

Which term refers to the set of state institutions and interest groups usually involved in making and implementing policy in some field?

A) The courts
B) The bureaucracy
C) A sub-government
D) State administrative centres
E) A government

Question 9

Which term refers to an explanation of politics that sees organized interests as the central fact of political life and which explains politics chiefly in terms of the activities of groups?

A) Neo-institutionalism
B) Class analysis
C) The Westminster system
D) Pluralism
E) Party system

Question 10

Which of the following pluralists/group theorists argued that society can be understood only in terms of the groups that comprise it?

A) John Kenneth Gailbraith
B) Robert Dahl
C) Robert Putnam
D) Arthur Bentley
E) David Truman

Question 11

Neo-pluralism took issue with group theory because of which of its claims?

A) Its speculative claims
B) Its hypothetical claims
C) Its empirical claims
D) Its idealistic claims
E) Its descriptive claims

Question 12

Which analytical perspective on interest groups states that rather than disappear, interest groups take a back seat to the class interests these groups are argued to represent?

A) Pluralism
B) Institutionalism
C) Neo-institutionalism
D) Class analysis
E) Corporatism

Question 13

Which term refers to a political structure characterized by direct participation of organizations representing business and labour in public-policy making?

A) Pluralism
B) Class analysis
C) Neo-institutionalism
D) Institutionalism
E) Corporatism

Question 14

Which of the following does not make corporatism distinct as an interest group system?

A) An ideology of social partnership between business and labour
B) The perspective that interest groups take a back seat to corporate interests
C) The existence of peak associations for business and labour
D) The institutionalization of access to decision-makers by business and labour interests
E) Tripartite decision-making structures bringing together state, business, and labour

Question 15

What does Paul Pross define as a "sprawling, highly bureaucratized affair in which the power to influence policy is widely diffused"?

A) Corporatism
B) Neo-institutionalism
C) Institutionalism
D) Pluralism
E) Modern government

Question 16

In which of the following theorems is neo-institutionalism rooted?

A) National choice theory
B) Reorganization theory
C) Neo-socialism
D) Society-centred analysis
E) Liberalism

Question 17

Which of the following is the theory of politics that emphasizes the role played by formal and informal rules in shaping individual choices and policy outcomes?

A) Rational choice
B) Organization theory
C) Neo-institutionalism
D) Society-centred analysis
E) Class analysis

Question 18

Which organizational theorist said that "the formal structure of the organization is the single most important key to its functioning"?

A) Herbert Simon
B) James March
C) Charles Perrow
D) Johan Olsen
E) Max Weber

Question 19

Which of the following is not among the incentive categories James Q. Wilson identifies that underlie the interior dynamics of interest groups?

A) Purposive incentives
B) Collective solidarity incentives
C) Material incentives
D) Specific solidarity incentives
E) All of the above are among Wilson's incentive categories.

Question 20

According to Philippe Schmitter and Wolfgang Streeck, a group's capacity for influence within a policy community will depend on its internal relationships to the larger political system of the state. They call these logics of which of the following?

A) Membership and power
B) Leaders and followers
C) Membership and influence
D) Influence and power
E) Politicians and citizens

Question 21

Which of the following is a macro-political factor that is important to understanding the political influence of organized interests?

A) Political culture
B) Fringe politicians
C) Financial markets
D) Lesser-known ideologies
E) Unpopular ideas

Question 22

In the United States, which concept has been used to describe the closed system of relations between an interest group and the administrative agencies and congressional committees with which it routinely deals?

A) The network circle
B) The iron triangle
C) Sub-governments
D) Policy networks
E) Policy communities

Question 23

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

A) The larger an organization grows, the more it will subsidize transit passes for its workers, creating financial issues if not all workers agree to take transit.
B) The larger an organization grows, the more some members might believe they can benefit from the organization without having to contribute increasingly to it.
C) As an organization downsizes, some members might not believe they can benefit from the organization without having to contribute increasingly to it.
D) As an organization downsizes, some members might believe they can benefit from the organization without having to contribute increasingly to it.
E) As an organization grows, some members might not believe they can benefit from the organization without having to contribute increasingly to it.

Question 24

According to John Kingdon, interest groups may use which of the following to influence what gets on the policy agenda and the alternatives considered by policy makers?

A) Statistics
B) Electoral influence
C) Fringe ideas
D) Laws
E) Individual leaders

Question 25

Which of the following is not true of group cohesion?

A) The notion that cohesion is greatest in the women's movement is no longer the case.
B) The Assembly of First Nations exemplifies group cohesion.
C) Group cohesion becomes less problematic the more similar and the fewer the members are.
D) In group dynamics, all interests of all involved are favoured equally.
E) The relationship between a group's leadership and membership can be problematic.

Question 26

Which of the following group characteristics is an important resource for a group to have electoral influence?

A) The geographic distribution of a group's membership
B) The status or wealth of a group's membership
C) The size of a group's membership
D) Both A and B
E) All of the above

Question 27

How many members are in the Canadian Federation of Independent Business?

A) 29,000
B) 59,000
C) 109,000
D) 79,000
E) 1,000

Question 28

Who argued that interest group organization is important due to the character of modern government?

A) Alan Cairns
B) Leslie Pal
C) Paul Pross
D) Mancur Olson
E) Max Weber

Question 29

The Canadian Parents for French, The Court Challenges Program, and the Women's LEAF are instances of which of the following?

A) Private-public partnership groups
B) Provincially funded organized groups
C) State funded organized groups
D) Federally funded organized groups
E) Privately funded organized groups

Question 30

What term did Paul Pross use to describe interests that possess the highest level of organization?

A) Organizational institutions
B) Premier organizational groups
C) Institutional organizations
D) Premier organizations
E) Institutional groups

Question 31

Which of the following is not a characteristic of institutional groups?

A) Stable memberships
B) Organizational continuity and cohesion
C) Overriding goals that take precedence
D) A specific focus on removing items from discussion
E) Concrete and immediate objectives

Question 32

According to Paul Pross, institutional groups possess what level of organization?

A) The highest level
B) A low to medium level
C) The lowest level
D) A medium to high level
E) Pross has not considered the organization of institutional groups.

Question 33

What year was the Court Challenges Program started?

A) 1918
B) 1867
C) 1930
D) 2001
E) 1978

Question 34

How many people does the Canadian Medical Association employ?

A) 50
B) 10
C) 100
D) 25
E) 200

Question 35

Which of the following is not a basic strategy open to interest groups to influence government and policy-makers?

A) Judicial action
B) Lobbying
C) Being involved early in the policy-making process
D) Target public opinion
E) Coercion

Question 36

How much was spent on the pro-trade campaign during the final blitz of the 1988 federal election campaign?

A) $200,000
B) $2,000
C) $20,000
D) $2 million
E) $100,000

Question 37

What year was the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives founded?

A) 1968
B) 2011
C) 1980
D) 1999
E) 1867

Question 38

During the early stages of the policy-making process, which of the following is generally the preferred strategy for interest groups?

A) Coercion
B) Lobbying
C) Targeting public opinion
D) Targeting bureaucratic opinion
E) Judicial action

Question 39

Groups that are not well established within a policy community are more likely to rely on which of the following to catch the attention of policy-makers to respond to their interests?

A) Confrontation
B) Media campaigns
C) Bribery and coercion
D) Both A and B
E) All of the above

Question 40

Which of the following tactics will be most successful to groups whose interests are significantly affected by regulation?

A) Appeals to the personal and ethical feelings of the public
B) Lobbying strategies that rely in research and technical information
C) Lobbying strategies that rely on "questionable" tactics such as blackmail, coercion, and bribery
D) Judicial action to change "undesirable" regulations
E) Protests and petitions to appeal to policy-makers to change "undesirable" regulations

Question 41

What type of stereotype does lobbying conjure up?

A) Brokerage
B) "Old boy networks"
C) Fair practices
D) Populism
E) Direct democracy

Question 42

What is the crucial question surrounding advocacy advertising for interest groups?

A) Does previous electoral success determine what views get expressed?
B) Does the political partisanship of media audiences determine what views get expressed?
C) Does the political partisanship of media owners determine what views get expressed?
D) Does the credibility of the information presented determine what views get expressed?
E) Does the ability to pay for media time/space determine what views get expressed?

Question 43

Which of the following is not true about think-tanks?

A) They carry out research on matters of public importance.
B) They skew almost invariably towards the right of the political spectrum.
C) They seek to communicate recommendations for government policy to a wide audience.
D) Their goals tend to be broader and their research strategies rather different from those of other interest groups.
E) They may or may not have a specific ideological agenda; some have very strong policy directions and some do not.

Question 44

Which term may be defined as any form or direct or indirect communication with government that is designed to influence public policy?

A) Scheming
B) Surveying
C) Canvassing
D) Lobbying
E) Whistleblowing

Question 45

Why do public perceptions of lobbying convey a wrong impression about the practice?

A) They associate lobbying with practices that constitute only a small part of what lobbyists actually do.
B) They assume that lobbying has more influence on government than it actually does.
C) They fail to take into account that lobbying is a basic democratic right.
D) Both A and C
E) All of the above

Question 46

Which of the following is not a category of lobbyists provided for in the Lobbyists Registration Act?

A) Consultant lobbyists
B) Corporate in-house lobbyists
C) Freelance lobbyists
D) Organization in-house lobbyists
E) All of the above are categories of lobbyists.

Question 47

Which type of lobbyists will, for a fee, work for various clients?

A) Corporate in-house lobbyists
B) Organization in-house lobbyists
C) Consultant lobbyists
D) Profiting lobbyists
E) Active lobbyists

Question 48

Which type of lobbyists work for a single corporation and lobby federal officials as a significant part of their duties?

A) Consultant lobbyists
B) Focus lobbyists
C) Organization in-house lobbyists
D) Corporate in-house lobbyists
E) Private lobbyists

Question 49

Which type of lobbyists are senior paid officers and other employees of organizations whose activities would include lobbying federal officials?

A) Private lobbyists
B) Consultant lobbyists
C) Organization in-house lobbyists
D) Corporate in-house lobbyists
E) Federal lobbyists

Question 50

What is a benefit that government relations firms provide to their clients?

A) Current politicians on payroll
B) Electoral loopholes
C) Expertise
D) Illegal loopholes
E) Influence

Question 51

How many organizations were listed in the 2018 edition of Associations Canada?

A) 9,681
B) 681
C) 5,681
D) 15,681
E) 19,681

Question 52

What is referred to as "the revolving door"?

A) Former politicians who are appointed as judges
B) Cabinet ministers changing portfolios
C) Parties losing power
D) MPs losing office
E) Former politicians, bureaucrats and political advisers who end up in government consulting

Question 53

What year was the Federal Accountability Act passed?

A) 1935
B) 1993
C) 2008
D) 1867
E) 1968

Question 54

What year did lobbyists become required to indicate who in government they contacted?

A) 1968
B) 1993
C) 1867
D) 1935
E) 2006

Question 55

Which government institution saw the number of active lobbyist registrations go from 60 in 2006 to 2,088 in 2018?

A) Liberal Party
B) Senate
C) Privy Council Office
D) Department of Finance
E) Supreme Court of Canada

Question 56

What was the sub-title of Colin Campbell's 1978 book on the senate?

A) The Sober Chamber
B) A Lobby from Within
C) The Second House
D) Appointed for Life
E) The Red Chamber

Question 57

What is the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives known for producing?

A) Future prime ministers
B) Political jingles
C) Best-selling books
D) Lists of Potential Candidates
E) Alternative Federal Budget

Question 58

What per cent of respondents of a 2014 poll said they trusted lobbyists?

A) 9 per cent
B) 65 per cent
C) 13 per cent
D) 47 per cent
E) 78 per cent

Question 59

What is involved in the so-called "lobbying option" for interest groups?

A) Law-making
B) Commercial campaigns
C) Social media
D) Personal meetings with officials, beliefs, and exchanges
E) Elections

Question 60

What is an association like the Business Council of Canada representative of?

A) Monopoly capital
B) Agenda setting
C) Patronage
D) Brokerage
E) Old moneys

Question 61

"Political factions" are interest groups outside the government that want to change government.

Question 62

Business interest groups are less influential with the government because they only represent a small minority of voters.

Question 63

Pluralism suggests that to influence government you must organize into groups.

Question 64

Pluralism stands accused for misunderstanding the true character of political power.

Question 65

Neo-institutionalism is the theory that intergovernmental organizations like the United Nations guide government policy.

Question 66

When a group's interests are significantly affected by regulation, lobbying strategies rely on research and technical information.

Question 67

Unions and other interest groups representing professions, like doctors and farmers, regularly practise economic blackmail to force government cooperation.

Question 68

Private lobbying is less effective than public protesting and advertising.

Question 69

Most effective influence campaigns have not been expensive.

Question 70

The defenders of advocacy advertising claim that it is a way for business to overcome anti-business bias.

Question 71

Interest groups are distinguished by the fact that they seek to promote goals shared by all members of society.

Question 72

There are close to 1,000 environmental groups across Canada.

Question 73

Roughly, 1,000 groups made representations and submitted briefs to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples during its six months of public hearings.

Question 74

Politicians do not need to care about business confidence.

Question 75

Neo-institutionalism is based on a simple observable fact: policy-making generally involves the participation of a relatively limited set of state and societal actors.

Question 76

Arthur Bentley argued that society can be understood without consideration of groups.

Question 77

As the scope of state intervention widened and its regulation of economic and social matters deepened, it became increasingly necessary that groups have the ongoing capacity to monitor government and dealt with it at those levels where power resided.

Question 78

Money is no guarantee of interest group success.

Question 79

Most interest groups have the resources to pay for public relations firms, polling companies and professional lobbyists.

Question 80

Interest groups representing business tend to have more affluent and stable financial footings than other groups.