Deck 10: Interest Groups

Question 1

Strategic donations are best defined as​ monies given to

A) other interest groups to provide access to their resources.
B) ​provide access to a representative who may not have a clear policy relationship, but who may be necessary to future policy efforts.
C) candidates supported by the group because of their current policy positions.
D) provide social access to the president and executive branch.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

​Which of the following was not a cause of the "advocacy explosion"?

A) ​Decreasing startup costs for new interest groups
B) ​Increased affluence and education since World War II
C) Response to the turmoil of the 1960s that exposed areas of great conflict
D) ​Increased influence of the news media

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the theories listed below is not a fundamental family of theories about interest group formation and behavior?​

A) Majoritarian electoral democracy
B) ​Economic elite domination
C) Economic elite pluralism​
D) ​Biased pluralism

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The idea that the government must develop policy by responding to voters' interests is supported by the theory of

A) ​economic elite domination.
B) ​majoritarian electoral democracy.
C) ​biased pluralism.
D) ​majoritarian pluralism.

Question 5

Issue areas that lend themselves to coalition-building between parties and interest groups are those areas that are​

A) ​policy-centered.
B) ​centered on partisan politics.
C) ​covered by the First Amendment.
D) ​narrow and factional.

Question 6

Interest groups focus on

A) implementing a specific policy agenda.
B) ​electoral victories.
C) partisanship and gaining power.
D) ending government conflict.

Question 7

What is the name given to the connection of interest groups, congressional committees, and bureaucracies?​

A) ​Corporate network
B) Issue network
C) Iron triangle
D) Lobbying affiliates

Question 8

Iron triangles most directly impact​

A) ​policymaking and oversight.
B) ​oversight and congressional hearings.
C) ​policymaking and legislative procedure.
D) ​congressional hearings and legislative procedure.

Question 9

What decades have been identified as the "advocacy explosion"​?

A) ​1950s and 1960s
B) ​1960s and 1970s
C) ​1970s and 1980s
D) ​1980s and 1990s

Question 10

​Who addressed concerns in the Federalist Papers regarding the formation of interest groups?

A) ​Thomas Jefferson
B) ​James Madison
C) ​Alexander Hamilton
D) ​John Adams

Question 11

What is the name given to the idea that the public would form interest groups to shape government policies through competition?​

A) ​Federalism
B) ​Domination
C) ​Majoritarianism
D) Pluralism

Question 12

Which amendment allows for the formation of interest groups?​

A) ​The Fourth Amendment
B) ​The Third Amendment
C) ​The Second Amendment
D) ​The First Amendment

Question 13

According to recent research, which group is the dominant influence on American government policy?​

A) Active political party members
B) Registered voters
C) ​Mass-based interest groups
D) ​Economic elites

Question 14

​When does biased pluralism occur?

A) ​When elite groups, namely corporate ones, dominate the policy process
B) ​When interest groups are found throughout the country, and they maintain a balance through changes in coalitions
C) ​When policy outcomes represent the collective will of average citizens through elections
D) ​When national conflicts result in no group having significant policy input

Question 15

What are interest groups?​

A) ​Independent, voluntary associations that seek to influence government policies
B) ​Congressional subcommittees that seek to influence industry
C) ​Policy committees of the executive branch that seek to streamline the bureaucracy
D) ​Independent joint subcommittees from the executive and legislative branches

Question 16

What are the two types of donations from interest groups?​

A) Sincere and legislative
B) ​Legislative and corporate
C) ​Strategic and corporate
D) ​Sincere and strategic

Question 17

Which of the following is generally not a purpose of interest groups?​

A) ​To advocate for particular policy positions with government entities
B) ​To publicize issues and controversies to the public at large
C) ​To assist the executive branch in research and policy development
D) ​To obtain access to public officials in order to pursue a policy agenda

Question 18

Issue networks were first described by researchers in the

A) ​1960s.
B) ​1970s.
C) ​1980s.
D) ​1990s.

Question 19

The Federalist Papers posit that the best use of factions in a representative democracy is to​

A) ​turn them toward issues in the private sector.
B) ​eliminate them before they cause conflict.
C) ​turn them toward more productive purposes.
D) ​move them away from issues at the state level.

Question 20

A principal difference between interest groups and political parties is in their​

A) creation.
B) agendas.
C) end goals.
D) ​membership.

Question 21

Which of the following is not an argument against the revolving door?​

A) ​The revolving door personnel may negatively impact public confidence in the agency review process.
B) ​The revolving door might lead to the appearance of agency decisions being biased in favor of industry.
C) ​The revolving door might lead to congressional oversight of an agency being led by a former member of industry.
D) ​The revolving door provides broad representation of the issue at hand.

Question 22

​Which groups are particularly helpful in engaging citizens from lower socioeconomic backgrounds?

A) Trade associations
B) Advocacy groups
C) ​Professional associations
D) Political action committees

Question 23

AAA and AARP take advantage of​ selective

A) legislation.
B) membership.
C) benefits.
D) participation.

Question 24

​Which of the following is not a resource that interest groups draw on?

A) ​Membership size
B) ​Presidential endorsement
C) ​Economic strength
D) ​Relationship with the media

Question 25

Political action committees and advocacy groups are set up​ to

A) explicitly support a particular party subset or a candidate.
B) issue "report cards" that assign grades to members based on certain votes.
C) advocate for particular legislation.
D) focus on one policy or issue.​

Question 26

Oftentimes, to the detriment of a group's goals, interest group leaders become

A) more conservative in their goals to maintain relationships they have developed.
B) more liberal as more goals are accomplished.
C) conservative in their goals to maintain financial feasibility.
D) less conservative based on their interactions with the media.

Question 27

What is the term used to describe an interest group hiring a professional to interact with public officials in Washington, D.C., on a regular basis?​

A) ​Direct lobbying
B) Public information campaign
C) Media coverage
D) Subsidized advocacy

Question 28

Groups, such as the National Rifle Association, that tend to focus on one particular substantive area are referred to as

A) partisan groups.
B) ideological groups.
C) ​issue groups.
D) corporate action committees.

Question 29

Which tactic of interest groups tends to encourage stronger participation?

A) ​Increasing media appeals
B) Using direct mail
C) Using social networking and face-to-face interaction
D) Increasing the group's size

Question 30

The free-rider problem occurs when​

A) ​group members take advantage of group resources as a result of contributing work, time, and effort.
B) others take advantage of media coverage of the group's original goal.
C) the public realizes that one person's consumption does not affect anyone else's.
D) ​group members or others take advantage of benefits earned from the work, time, and effort that others have put forth to accomplish the group's goal.

Question 31

Which of the following is not a concern when building an effective interest group?​

A) ​Congressional leadership
B) Membership engagement
C) Public versus private goods
D) Group size

Question 32

​Direct lobbying is most effective when conducted

A) ​prior to legislation being introduced.
B) ​early in the process when legislation is in committee.
C) ​when legislation goes to the floor for a vote.
D) ​when legislation is ready to go to the president.

Question 33

Labor unions, such as the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, and the AFL-CIO, are considered types of

A) business groups.
B) professional associations.
C) issue networks.
D) political action committees.

Question 34

Which of the following statements is true regarding financial resources and interest group success?

A) ​Financial resources have no impact on outcomes or group membership in interest groups.
B) An interest group without strong financial capability will never achieve its goals.
C) An interest group with financial resources may benefit indirectly by being able to hire better lobbyists.
D) Financial capability is the key factor in advocacy success.

Question 35

​Which of the following is a significant source of power within many interest groups?

A) ​Elected officials
B) Dues
C) Candidate endorsements
D) The iron law of oligarchy

Question 36

In addition to interest groups and government officials, issue networks also include

A) ​academics and corporate CEOs.
B) ​journalists and actors.
C) ​academics and journalists.
D) ​CEOs and actors.

Question 37

Which description encompasses trade associations, labor unions, and professional associations?​

A) ​Issue interest groups
B) Business interest groups
C) ​Political action committees
D) Public interest groups

Question 38

What are two general types of interest groups?​

A) ​Professional and amateur
B) Labor and trade
C) Conservative and liberal
D) ​Economic and ideological

Question 39

What tends to gain the most media attention for interest groups?​

A) Public relation events
B) Press releases
C) ​Large scale protests
D) ​Policy advocacy

Question 40

Which of the following is an example of a professional association?

A) ​Democratic Governor's Association
B) American Conservative Union
C) American Medical Association
D) National Rifle Association

Question 41

Which act greatly expanded reporting requirements for interest groups in Washington, D.C.?​

A) ​The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971
B) ​The Revenue Act of 1954
C) The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995
D) ​The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act

Question 42

Grassroots lobbying occurs when​ interest groups

A) sidestep their membership and take the issue to the general public.
B) hire a lobbyist.
C) produce awareness campaigns.​
D) encourage their members to write, call, or visit public officials.

Question 43

Which law banned national parties from receiving unregulated soft monies from interest groups and banned corporate and union electioneering activities?​

A) The Revenue Act of 1954
B) The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971
C) ​The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002
D) The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995

Question 44

In the 2012 election cycle, super PACs spent over ________, with groups such as American Crossroads demonstrating ________.

A) $50,000,000; average electoral success
B) $50,000,000; no electoral success
C) $500,000,000; enormous electoral success
D) $500,000,000; little electoral success

Question 45

Interest groups are protected by the First Amendment, but are

A) ​not held to any special regulations or rules.
B) subject to liability rules for individual members.
C) subject to rules for lobbyists, tax regulations, and limits to campaign financing.
D) afforded unlimited access for partisan activities.

Question 46

Which group is formed by organizations that exist only to promote a particular cause or support an issue?​

A) Corporate PAC
B) Nonconnected PAC
C) Connected PAC
D) Labor union PAC

Question 47

Interest groups file amicus briefs with the Supreme Court to​

A) ​support the efforts of a particular side of the case.
B) generate additional members.
C) publicly dispute the case under consideration.
D) provide additional evidence in case of a retrial.

Question 48

Which act reflected the wish of Congress to limit the role of money in politics through the regulation of campaign contributions?​

A) ​The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971
B) ​The Revenue Act of 1954
C) ​The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995
D) ​The Hatch Act

Question 49

Super PACs are​ described as organizations that

A) ​exist only to raise and spend contributions independently of candidates.
B) must abide by strict limits on raising or spending money.
C) coordinate directly with the candidates they wish to support.
D) exist as offshoots of a particular political party and its platform.

Question 50

​Which Supreme Court decision allowed interest groups to raise and spend unlimited funds independent of candidate campaigns?

A) ​Obergefell v. Hodges
B) ​McCutcheon v. FEC
C) ​Citizens United v. FEC
D) McConnell v. FEC