Deck 12: Interest Groups and Civic and Political Engagement

Question 1

Alexis de Tocqueville asserted that people living in democratic nations must

A) avoid association in order to maintain the status quo.
B) join together to preserve their independence and freedoms.
C) trust in their government to do the right thing.
D) rebel against any form of government.
E) work together to secure economic prosperity.

Answer 1

join together to preserve their independence and freedoms.

Question 2

The book Democracy in America was written by

A) Jean Jacques Rousseau.
B) John Locke.
C) Malcolm X.
D) Alexis de Tocqueville.
E) Baron Montesquieu.

Answer 2

Alexis de Tocqueville.

Question 3

According to Alexis de Tocqueville, freedom of association allowed "_____" to unite in the electoral arena to challenge the tyranny of the majority.

A) partisans of an opinion
B) political parties
C) the political elite
D) business interests
E) religious interests

Answer 3

partisans of an opinion

Question 4

Organized interests are important in a democracy because they

A) provide a safety valve for political issues.
B) draw attention to important questions and issues.
C) allow people to feel connected to other members of society.
D) provide an avenue for individuals to petition the government.
E) All of the above

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a primary characteristic of interest groups?

A) They affect politics almost exclusively through campaign donations
B) They are voluntary association of joiners
C) Their members share a common belief
D) They focus on influencing the government
E) All of these are common characteristics of interest groups

Question 6

Which of the following would interest group members NOT necessarily share in common?

A) Ethnicity
B) Interests
C) Values
D) Beliefs
E) Interest groups members would generally have all of these in common

Question 7

Which of the following is a category of interest groups?

A) Chambers of Congress
B) Mass media
C) Public interest
D) Political parties
E) Colleges and universities

Question 8

Single-issue interest groups differ from multi-issue groups in that

A) single-issue groups focus on one issue, while multi-issue groups pursue a broader range of issues grouped around a central theme.
B) single-issue groups draw support from one demographic group of people, while multi-issue groups draw support from many demographic groups.
C) single-issue groups rely solely on small donations, while multi-issue groups rely primarily on large donations.
D) single-issue groups focus on one issue, while multi-issue groups pursue a broader range of issues that are not necessarily related.
E) None of these answers are correct

Question 9

Divisions of people based on at least one social characteristic, such as educational attainment or race, are known as

A) separations.
B) cleavages.
C) schisms.
D) splits.
E) clefts.

Question 10

Compared to countries like France and the United Kingdom, the United States has a large number of interest groups because

A) the Constitution affords special recognition for organized groups.
B) the federal structure of government affords organized groups many opportunities to influence political outcomes.
C) they are necessary to create diversity in our otherwise homogeneous society.
D) the federal government provides assistance only to organized groups.
E) all democracies have a large number of interest groups.

Question 11

A nonprofit institution that conducts research on issues of public interest is generally is referred to as a

A) think tank.
B) public interest group.
C) interest group.
D) professional association.
E) trust.

Question 12

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is a prominent

A) labor union.
B) trade association.
C) public interest group.
D) think tank.
E) political party.

Question 13

Clean air, national defense, and interstate highway system are examples of

A) social goods.
B) public goods.
C) private goods.
D) valuative goods.
E) recreational goods.

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT an obstacle to mobilization for an interest group?

A) excessive government regulation
B) the free rider problem
C) the cost of action
D) the absence of a sense of political efficacy
E) all of these are difficulties for interest group mobilization

Question 15

The "intangible rewards that derive from the sense of satisfaction of having contributed to a worthwhile cause" are referred to as

A) material benefits.
B) select benefits.
C) patron benefits.
D) governance benefits.
E) purposive benefits.

Question 16

The UFW campaigned for better conditions for _____ workers.

A) farm
B) auto
C) restaurant
D) railroad
E) dock

Question 17

Outside lobbying aims primarily at directly influencing _____ rather than public officials.

A) bureaucrats
B) congressmen
C) lobbyists
D) international organizations
E) citizens

Question 18

_____ lobbying focuses primarily on citizens rather than public officials.

A) Outside
B) Inside
C) Discrete
D) Symbolic
E) Relative

Question 19

What kinds of interest groups are most likely to use public events and protests in order to draw attention to their campaigns?

A) Business and professional associations
B) Think tanks and universities
C) Governments
D) Labor unions and public interest groups
E) Think tanks and businesses

Question 20

Most interest groups take part in electoral politics by _____ candidates.

A) demeaning and berating
B) ignoring and disregarding
C) rating and endorsing
D) praising and lauding
E) campaigning for

Question 21

Demographically, activists are generally _____ than the average American.

A) more educated
B) wealthier
C) more politically knowledgeable
D) all of these are correct
E) none of these are correct

Question 22

The form of political participation which is least biased based on demographic factors is

A) making campaign contributions.
B) writing a letter to a member of Congress.
C) voting.
D) participating in an interest group.
E) filing a lawsuit.

Question 23

Alexis de Tocqueville argued that the institutional protections for civil liberties were more important than groups and associations were in protecting against authoritarian rule.

Question 24

In Hernandez v. Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Hispanics could not be excluded from juries on the basis of their ethnicity.

Question 25

Selective benefits are intended to overcome the free-rider problem.

Question 26

Unlike outside lobbying, inside lobbying is concentrated in the decision makers' pathway.

Question 27

Federal law prohibits interest groups from participating in campaigns for elected office.

Question 28

The rise of interest groups correlates with a growth in distrust in government.

Question 29

Who famously observed, "The liberty of association has become a necessary guarantee against the tyranny of the majority.… There are no countries in which associations are more needed, to prevent the despotism of faction or the arbitrary power of the prince, than those which are democratically constituted"?

A) Thomas Jefferson
B) John Locke
C) Malcolm X
D) Alexis de Tocqueville
E) Martin Luther King Jr.

Question 30

Alexis de Tocqueville toured the United States in the

A) 1770s.
B) 1810s.
C) 1830s.
D) 1850s.
E) 1960s.

Question 31

In early America, political protest was

A) a rare occurrence.
B) a common occurrence.
C) limited to the southern colonies.
D) usually led by freed slaves.
E) reflective of social rather than economic interests.

Question 32

According to John Locke and the founders, people set up governments for the specific purpose of

A) getting rich.
B) ensuring social welfare.
C) protecting natural rights.
D) eliminating individual freedoms.
E) establishing order.

Question 33

In writing the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson drew heavily from the work of the social contract theorist

A) Thomas Hobbes.
B) Jean Jacques Rousseau.
C) John Locke.
D) Adam Smith.
E) David Ricardo.

Question 34

The central argument advanced in the Declaration of Independence is that

A) only a democratic government can represent the interests of the majority.
B) the legitimacy of a government depends on the ability of the government to deliver the political policies demanded by the people.
C) representative democracies are inherently undemocratic.
D) direct democracy is inherently unstable.
E) the people have the right to revolt when they believe the government has denied them their legitimate rights.

Question 35

In 1989, the Chinese government killed several thousand pro-democracy student protestors gathered in

A) Xi'an.
B) Singapore.
C) Hong Kong.
D) Tiananmen Square.
E) Tibet.

Question 36

In totalitarian systems, lobbying, activism, protest, and other forms of political engagement among citizens are

A) strongly encouraged.
B) discouraged.
C) neither encouraged nor discouraged.
D) somewhat limited.
E) severely limited.

Question 37

A group of like-minded individuals who band together to influence public policy, public opinion, or governmental officials is known as a(n)

A) interest group.
B) political party.
C) political action committee.
D) reform movement.
E) 527.

Question 38

_____ are organizations outside the government that attempt to influence the government's behavior, decision making, and allocation of resources.

A) Political groups
B) Interest groups
C) Awareness groups
D) Political parties
E) Political campaigns

Question 39

_____ is an example of a multi-issue group.

A) NRA
B) Abortion Watch
C) NOW
D) PETA
E) All of the above

Question 40

LULAC won a number of important successes that have advanced the civil rights and liberties of _____ Americans.

A) female
B) Irish
C) Hispanic
D) Italian
E) Chinese

Question 41

LULAC provided financial support and attorneys to challenge the practice of excluding Hispanics on juries in

A) Lawrence v. Texas.
B) Hernandez v. Texas.
C) Gutierrez v. Oklahoma.
D) Mapp v. Ohio.
E) Davis v. Davis.

Question 42

Which of the following is NOT a function of interest groups?

A) To provide a means for political participation
B) To represent the general interest
C) To educate the public
D) To build agendas
E) To serve as a government watchdog

Question 43

When an interest group launches a campaign to bring otherwise ignored issues to the public attention, it is performing its function of

A) providing a means for political participation.
B) representing the general interest.
C) educating the public.
D) building agendas.
E) serving as a government watchdog.

Question 44

Interest groups contribute to the governing process by serving as government

A) watchdogs.
B) lapdogs.
C) agencies.
D) proxies.
E) supporters.

Question 45

Between which two decades did the number and activity level of interest groups explode in the United States?

A) 1890s and 1920s
B) 1910s and 1950s
C) 1950s and 1970s
D) 1960s and 1990s
E) 1970s and 2000s

Question 46

Since the 1960s, the number of interest groups in the United States has

A) declined rapidly.
B) declined slowly.
C) remained about the same.
D) increased slowly.
E) increased rapidly.

Question 47

Cleavages refer to the division of

A) people based on key social characteristics like gender, race or income.
B) political parties based on deeply-held ideologies.
C) the U.S. government into three branches.
D) lobbyists and legislators in the U.S. government.
E) campaign contributions into smaller amounts to bypass campaign finance limits.

Question 48

Compared to countries like France and the United Kingdom, people in the United States have

A) many more opportunities to bring pressure on government.
B) about the same number opportunities to bring pressure on government.
C) slightly fewer opportunities to bring pressure on government.
D) fewer formal channels but more informal channels to bring pressure on government.
E) more formal channels but fewer informal channels to bring pressure on government.

Question 49

David Truman's _____ theory states that groups form whenever other interest groups are perceived as threatening.

A) game
B) evolution
C) democratic
D) disturbance
E) trust

Question 50

Professionals who are paid to represent interest groups before government officials and institutions are commonly referred to as

A) delegates.
B) representatives.
C) lobbyists.
D) campaign staff.
E) members of Congress.

Question 51

A(n) _____ is a group of people-generally well-paid and highly educated ones-in a specific profession.

A) think tank
B) public interest group
C) interest group
D) professional association
E) trust

Question 52

A group that forms in the pursuit of " a collective good, the achievement of which will not selectively and materially benefit the membership or activists of the organization," is generally referred to as a

A) think tank
B) public interest group
C) interest group
D) professional association
E) trust

Question 53

The _____ is an example of a professional association.

A) AMA
B) AARP
C) NAACP
D) NGA
E) NRA

Question 54

Public interest groups are defined by their pursuit of

A) a private good that benefits the members of the organization materially.
B) a private good that does not benefit the members of the organization materially.
C) a collective good that benefits the members of the organization materially.
D) a collective good that does not benefit the members of the organization materially.
E) None of these is correct

Question 55

Which of the following is NOT an example of a public interest group?

A) The Sierra Club
B) The American Federation of Labor
C) AARP
D) The National Rifle Association
E) Public Citizen

Question 56

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is a group that represents the interests of

A) businesses.
B) union members.
C) state and local governments.
D) environmentalists.
E) gun owners.

Question 57

AARP, the Sierra Club, the National Rifle Association, and Public Citizen are all examples of which type of interest group?

A) Economic groups
B) Public interest groups
C) Political parties
D) Think tanks and universities
E) Governmental units

Question 58

The _____ problem is the tendency of individuals to allow others to do work on their behalf.

A) cost
B) free-rider
C) affluence
D) dilatory
E) socialization

Question 59

The free-rider problem is most likely to occur with groups that provide

A) incentives for membership.
B) membership dues.
C) retirement benefits.
D) public goods.
E) private goods.

Question 60

Insurance, training programs, and discounts are _____ benefits the NRA provides its members.

A) material
B) solidary
C) purposive
D) trivial
E) stimulative

Question 61

Selective benefits are offered in order to

A) discourage uncommitted members from joining.
B) raise money for an interest group campaign.
C) overcome the free-rider problem.
D) mobilize a political campaign more effectively.
E) increase efficiency in a political campaign.

Question 62

Tangible benefits that have a value, such as magazine subscriptions or membership discounts, are generally referred to as

A) purposive benefits.
B) material benefits.
C) elective benefits.
D) solidary benefits.
E) foundational benefits.

Question 63

Benefits which focus on providing activity and a sense of belonging to members, through such activities as meetings, dinners, and dances, are generally referred
To as

A) purposive benefits.
B) material benefits.
C) elective benefits.
D) solidary benefits.
E) foundational benefits.

Question 64

The sense of accomplishment that comes through the success of an interest group of which an individual is a member, such as the feeling of accomplishment an individual member has when a bill opposed by the group is defeated, is known
As a(n)

A) purposive benefit.
B) material benefit.
C) elective benefit.
D) solidary benefit.
E) foundational benefit.

Question 65

The ability of unions to require all employees to be members of the union as a condition of employment was established by the

A) Wager Act.
B) Henderson Act.
C) Casey Act.
D) National Labor Relations Act.
E) Executive Order of President Woodrow Wilson.

Question 66

In some states, "______" laws prohibit mandatory union membership as a precondition to employment.

A) right to work
B) freedom of association
C) membership freedom
D) rights of employment
E) limited union

Question 67

Individuals or organizations that give money to groups are called

A) mercenaries.
B) advocates.
C) residents.
D) patrons.
E) lobbyists.

Question 68

César Chávez was well known as the leader of the

A) Union of Concerned Scientists.
B) United Farm Workers of America.
C) American Federation of Labor.
D) Congress of Industrial Organizations.
E) International Olympic Committee.

Question 69

The unlikely success of the UFW in the early 1970s illustrates

A) the importance of purposive benefits.
B) the power of a charismatic leader.
C) the importance of technology to interest groups.
D) the efficacy of professional lobbyists.
E) the inability of the poor to organize.

Question 70

When a professional lobbyist meets with a member of Congress to convince them to support a specific bill, they are engaged in

A) outside lobbying.
B) inside lobbying.
C) discrete lobbying.
D) symbolic lobbying.
E) relative lobbying.

Question 71

_____ was a lobbyist who admitted to corrupting government officials and defrauding his clients of $25 million.

A) Tom DeLay
B) Grover Norquist
C) Jack Abramoff
D) Don Henley.
E) Scooter Libby

Question 72

The Lobbying Disclosure Act

A) requires lobbyists to register with the federal government.
B) prohibits certain informal lobbying practices.
C) prohibits lobbyists from directly contacting members of Congress.
D) both requires lobbyists to register with the federal government and prohibits certain informal lobbying practices.
E) both prohibits certain informal lobbying practices and prohibits lobbyists from directly contacting members of Congress.

Question 73

Approximately _____ percent of interest groups engage in outside lobbying.

A) 25
B) 40
C) 50
D) 75
E) 90

Question 74

Proportionately, the number of Americans communicating with members of Congress

A) is now at record-low levels.
B) has declined in recent years but has not yet reached record-low levels.
C) has remained steady over the past 40 years.
D) has increased in recent years but is not yet at record high levels.
E) is now at record-high levels.

Question 75

Artificially stimulated public interest is sometimes referred to as "_____" to emphasize the appearance of widespread popularity without any real depth.

A) cursory mobilization
B) artificial efficacy
C) bias
D) Astroturf
E) lemon support

Question 76

Modern technology makes direct mail campaigns by interest groups more effective by

A) eliminating the need for grassroots mobilization.
B) increasing the accuracy of targeted campaigns.
C) eliminating the need for direct contact.
D) reducing the cost of the political campaigns.
E) doing all of the above.

Question 77

A _____ is an organized campaign to refuse to do business with an opponent.

A) travel ban
B) restrictive trade practice
C) boycott
D) tariff
E) trade restrictive investment measure

Question 78

An oil company produces a television commercial that shows its concern for the environment. This is an example of a(n)

A) editorial.
B) advertorial.
C) blog.
D) promotion.
E) announcement.

Question 79

Which of the following is NOT a potential use of the Internet in a political campaign?

A) Communicating with supporters
B) Raising money
C) Recruiting volunteers
D) Researching the opposition
E) All of these are potential uses of the Internet in a political campaign

Question 80

Groups with more money generally

A) are more able to achieve their goals.
B) are less able to achieve their goals.
C) are no more able to achieve their goals than groups with less money.
D) subject to intense regulation by the federal government.
E) operate outside the regulation of the federal government.