Deck 7: Elites and Organized Interests

Question 1

The Iron Law of oligarchy contends that

A) all organizations have clear goals.
B) all organizations have equal influence on congressional representatives.
C) all organizations have elites.
D) all organizations have an equal impact.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Interest group activity is generally protected by

A) elite preferences.
B) court precedent.
C) laws passed by Congress.
D) the First Amendment.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Most of the population belongs to ___________ formal organized group(s).

A) No
B) at least one
C) 2-3
D) 5 or more

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Liberal causes draw their membership from

A) middle- and upper-class.
B) ethnic minorities.
C) university-educated.
D) All of the above

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of a business / corporate interest group?

A) American Bar Association
B) American Medical Association
C) U.S. Chamber of Commerce
D) National Rifle Association

Question 6

Interest groups, generally, do not do a good job representing

A) lawyers and doctors.
B) teachers and civil servants.
C) the poor and uneducated.
D) corporations and financial institutions.

Question 7

Power within the labor movement has shifted dramatically to

A) government employee unions.
B) industrial unions.
C) AFL-CIO.
D) the Teamsters Union.

Question 8

Pluralism considers interest groups to be "good" because they

A) provide an effective voice for citizens demands for resources.
B) reduce anxiety among the masses produced by feelings of helplessness.
C) provide stability.
D) All of the above are true.

Question 9

Interest groups mostly protect

A) corporate profits by always siding with corporations.
B) corporations in order to preserve their profits.
C) union bosses and their special interests.
D) public employee unions and their members.

Question 10

In the contemporary sense of the term, conservatism includes

A) the classical liberal values of free markets, limited government, and individual self-reliance in economic affairs.
B) the classical conservative belief in the value of tradition, law, family, and faith.
C) the belief that humans are imperfect and flawed.
D) all of the above.

Question 11

The largest women's organization in American politics is the

A) League of Women Voters.
B) National Organization of Women.
C) Feminist Majority Foundation.
D) Daughters of the American Revolution.

Question 12

The political effectiveness of a group's leadership is related to the group's

A) membership make-up.
B) size.
C) regional concentration.
D) finances.

Question 13

In a 2009 interview, the president of the SEIU said his union gave

A) over $1,000,000 to help elect Barack Obama.
B) over $3,000,000 to help elect Barack Obama.
C) over $10,000,000 to help elect Barack Obama.
D) over $60,000,000 to help elect Barack Obama.

Question 14

The AARP focuses on issues for what group?

A) Seniors
B) Ethnology firms
C) Public employees
D) The poor and uneducated

Question 15

Which of the following is the most powerful lobby in Washington, D.C.?

A) National Governors Association
B) Business Roundtable
C) National Farmers Union
D) American Bankers Association

Question 16

The social class bias in association membership is complemented by the social class origins of

A) lobbyists.
B) ideologues.
C) members of Congress.
D) oligarchic elites.

Question 17

Single-issue interest groups are effective because

A) they are less expensive to operate.
B) their members are very committed to the cause.
C) they are excellent at bargaining.
D) they have more members and therefore, more influence.

Question 18

In a 2012 Harris poll, a majority of respondents felt too much influence on Washington was held by

A) labor unions.
B) the media.
C) "big companies."
D) trade associations.

Question 19

In the contemporary sense of the term, liberalism believes in

A) strong government protection of civil rights and freedom from government intervention in social affairs.
B) complete free trade and open markets.
C) strong government to ensure that all states comply with federal law.
D) all of the above.

Question 20

According to pluralism, the basic function (s) of interest groups is to _______________________.

A) link individuals and the government
B) enhance well-being by helping people overcome the sense of powerlessness
C) help reduce potentially divisive conflicts in society.
D) all of the above

Question 21

It is not the people, but ____________________ that have the most direct daily influence over government.

Question 22

Oligarchs within interest groups are disproportionately from the ___________________.

Question 23

The regulatory requirement of disclosure means that lobbyists must

A) report all donations and gifts to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
B) report to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) about how much they spend.
C) get a special license that allows them access to politicians.
D) sign in at the front door of the Capitol building.

Question 24

The largest number of PACs come from

A) liberal causes.
B) conservative causes.
C) the corporate sector.
D) women's rights interests.

Question 25

Even though common sense tells them that large, mass membership interest groups cannot deliver a vote, members of Congress are often _______________ by these groups.

A) financially controlled
B) scared
C) intimidated
D) unimpressed

Question 26

PACs give most of their money to

A) Republicans.
B) Democrats.
C) challengers.
D) incumbents.

Question 27

The Democratic Party relies more heavily on ____________ for funding than the Republican Party.

A) lawyers and unions
B) real estate and the oil and gas industry
C) business and manufacturing companies
D) pharmaceutical companies

Question 28

The greatest gift a lobbyist can offer is

A) money.
B) to mobilize voters on behalf of a candidate.
C) dissemination of information.
D) gifts for favorable votes.

Question 29

__________________ organizations dominate interest groups politics.

Question 30

The relevant First Amendment phrase dealing with lobbying is the right to ____________________.

Question 31

The real key to success in lobbying is the

A) integrity of the lobbyist.
B) ability to organize grassroots activities and gain votes.
C) campaign contributions or independent spending for candidates.
D) ability to hire former government officials and Congress members.

Question 32

The theory that all citizens are members of groups is known as ____________________.

Question 33

The effectiveness of an interest group often increases

A) with a media event about the issue.
B) with the ability to offer campaign support.
C) with the rising economy.
D) with celebrity endorsements.

Question 34

Lobbyists provide which of the following forms of information?

A) Expertise on issues
B) Knowledge of the legislative process
C) Where a group stands on an issue
D) All of the above

Question 35

Lobbyists will use their ___________ in order to obtain congressional support.

A) unlimited finances.
B) knowledge.
C) loyalty.
D) political capital.

Question 36

Lobbying firms will hire former members of Congress or former White House aides because they

A) can "buy votes" from Congress members.
B) have personal contacts with decision-makers.
C) have experience in the policy-making process.
D) are often retired and will work for lower pay.

Question 37

To communicate with decision makers, an organized interest first must get

A) access.
B) funding.
C) official registration.
D) grass roots support.

Question 38

The executive department of the federal government that is the most heavily lobbied is

A) the Department of Defense.
B) the Department of Health and Human Services.
C) the Department of Justice.
D) the Treasury Department.

Question 39

Interest groups serve society by connecting their members to

A) each other.
B) the group's leadership.
C) an ideology.
D) the established social system.

Question 40

Of the top 20 political donors, (for presidential and congressional elections),

A) most are corporations.
B) most are religious organizations.
C) most are unions.
D) most are wealthy individuals.

Question 41

Interest groups, generally, do not do a good job representing_______________________.

Question 42

The largest interest group currently in existence in the United States is ____________________.

Question 43

American for Democratic Action is the oldest interest group in the United States.

Question 44

In recent years, there has been an increase in membership in Unions due to their ability to influence election outcomes.

Question 45

The interest group that promotes the campaigns of pro-choice Democratic women is known as ____________________.

Question 46

__________________ is the basic ideology that prefers minimal government across the board.

Question 47

Interest groups, generally, do a good job representing the poor and uneducated.

Question 48

Interest groups are influential due to their ability to mobilize financial resources.

Question 49

The policy positions of ____________________ organizations are often vague and devoid of specific content and thus harmless.

Question 50

Contemporary conservatives and liberals disagree about the size and role of _________________.

Question 51

A ____________________ is a nonparty organization that solicits voluntary contributions to disburse to political candidate.

Question 52

____________________ is any communication directed at a government decision maker with the hope of influencing decisions.

Question 53

__________________ are conservative billionaires who spent roughly $86 million in 2012 elections.

Question 54

The one technique that most experienced lobbyists shun is the ____________________.

Question 55

The number and influence of PACs has ______________________ in the past few years.

Question 56

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Petroleum Institute, and the National Association of Manufacturers are all examples of ____________________interest groups.

Question 57

Grassroots, lobbyist-driven letters from a home district to a legislator are called ____________________.

Question 58

The National Rifle Association, the National Abortion Rights Action League, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving are examples of ____________________.

Question 59

The top 20 donors in the 2012 presidential and congressional elections were ____________.

Question 60

Membership in unions is atypical in that most members are middle-class.

Question 61

Lobbyists and PACs are responsible for funding roughly 50% of all Congressional campaigns in the House of Representatives.

Question 62

Narrowly focused organizations tend to be more effective than larger, broad-based groups.

Question 63

Because of First Amendment protection, the government may not regulate lobbying activities.

Question 64

Voter registration, get out the vote, and endorsements are examples of campaign services provided by unions.

Question 65

The National Association of Realtors was the largest PAC contributor to the 2012 elections.

Question 66

Financial reports of lobbyists provide an accurate picture of the lobbying activities in Washington.

Question 67

Influential lobbyists earn more income than members of Congress.

Question 68

The ability to offer campaign support, particularly in terms of money, increases the influence of interest groups.

Question 69

The most influential women's interest group is the National Organization for Women (NOW).

Question 70

Given the fact that different interest groups prefer different parties and candidates, what groups favor Democrats and Republicans?

Question 71

The most heavily lobbied executive department in the federal government is the Department of Energy.

Question 72

Single-issue interest groups are valuable to candidates in that they have the ability to mobilize blocks of voters.

Question 73

How does pluralism explain the presence and influence of various interest groups?

Question 74

The NAACP is the interest group responsible for pressuring the government to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Question 75

Compare and contrast the conservative and liberal ideologies.

Question 76

The proliferation of single-issue groups is largely attributed to the decline of political parties.

Question 77

Lobbyists give different amounts to candidates and political parties depending on which party is currently in power in Congress.

Question 78

How does the government try to regulate spending by interest groups? Are these measures effective?

Question 79

Explain why interest groups give more to some candidates and the reasoning behind their motivation.

Question 80

Incumbents in Congress are unlikely to change the regulation of PACs because they are under pressure from voters.