Deck 11: Interest Groups

Question 1

The formation of antislavery organizations during the 1830s and 1840s was an example of interest groups that formed as a result of

A) government policy.
B) the emergence of talented leadership.
C) the enlargement of governmental responsibilities.
D) broad economic developments.
E) legislative capitulation.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Purposive incentives are most likely to motivate people who join the

A) Illinois Farm Bureau.
B) National Organization for Women (NOW).
C) parent-teacher associations (PTAs).
D) American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).
E) Rotary Club.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The launching of the Chamber of Commerce was an example of an interest group that formed as a result of

A) government policy.
B) the emergence of talented leadership.
C) the enlargement of governmental responsibilities.
D) broad economic developments.
E) legislative capitulation.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The U.S. tobacco industry is represented in Washington by a strong lobby that seeks to influence public policy regarding the use of tobacco. This lobby is most accurately referred to as a(n)

A) membership interest.
B) solidary group.
C) institutional interest.
D) public-interest lobby.
E) referenced interest.

Question 5

The growth of numerous public-interest lobbies in the 1960s was an example of interest groups that formed as a result of

A) government policy.
B) the emergence of talented leadership.
C) the enlargement of governmental responsibilities.
D) broad economic developments.
E) legislative capitulation.

Question 6

The activity of lobbyists is protected by the ________ Amendment.

A) First
B) Second
C) Fifth
D) Tenth
E) Fourteenth

Question 7

The National Association of Science Teachers offers its members reduced rates on automobile rentals. Such benefits to members are called ________ benefits.

A) solidary
B) material
C) purposive
D) party
E) concurrent

Question 8

The number of interest groups has grown rapidly since the

A) 1940s.
B) 1950s.
C) 1960s.
D) 1970s.
E) 1980s.

Question 9

A typical activity that an institutional interest might conduct on behalf of a client would be

A) lobbying for laws to protect the client from foreign competition.
B) forming small local chapters to raise campaign funds.
C) offering life insurance at reduced rates for its members.
D) offering a cash payment to legislators in exchange for a crucial vote.
E) offering a cash payment to legislators to appear at a public meeting.

Question 10

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce represents thousands of different businesses locally and in Washington. Is it still called an institutional interest, even though it has no single client?

A) Yes, because membership is voluntary.
B) Yes, because it still acts on behalf of other organizations.
C) No, because membership is nonvoluntary.
D) No, because institutional interests represent a single organization.
E) No, because membership is connected to one's occupational background.

Question 11

The emergence of large, mass-membership labor unions was an example of interest groups that formed as a result of

A) government policy.
B) the evolution of talented leadership.
C) the enlargement of governmental responsibilities.
D) broad economic developments.
E) legislative capitulation.

Question 12

Which of the following is true of most people who are sympathetic to the aims of a mass-membership interest group?

A) They do not join it.
B) They join it but do not pay dues.
C) They join it, pay dues, but do not participate in its activities.
D) They join it, pay dues, and participate in its activities.
E) They join it but participate without paying dues.

Question 13

Which of the following is not an example of a material incentive?

A) The opportunity for members to market their products through cooperatives
B) Low-cost life insurance
C) The appeal of the organization's stated goals
D) Free assistance in preparing tax returns
E) Free assistance in estate planning

Question 14

The reason Americans participate in civic associations more frequently than do citizens of other countries is

A) their greater dissatisfaction with the government.
B) their more intense attachment to parties.
C) their European heritage.
D) the fact that they are less sensitive to the free-rider problem.
E) their sense of political efficacy and civic duty.

Question 15

Members of a farm bureau are most likely to have joined as a result of ________ incentives.

A) solidary
B) concurrent
C) purposive
D) party
E) material

Question 16

PACs are created by ___________ groups.

A) business
B) labor union
C) trade association
D) ideological
E) All of the above.

Question 17

Today, there are over ______ PACs.

A) 1,000
B) 4,000
C) 10,000
D) 50,000
E) 100,000

Question 18

The U.S. wine industry is represented in Washington by a group that seeks to influence public policy regarding wine. This group is most accurately called a(n)

A) membership interest.
B) solidary group.
C) institutional interest.
D) public-interest lobby.
E) referenced interest.

Question 19

Americans are more likely to join ________ than are citizens of other countries.

A) labor unions
B) business and trade associations
C) charitable organizations
D) religious and civic associations
E) professional organizations

Question 20

It is often said that Americans are a nation of

A) joiners.
B) protesters.
C) lobbyists.
D) activists.
E) loyalists.

Question 21

The launching of the environmental movement was assisted by

A) a hurricane in Pensacola, Florida.
B) several incidents of contaminated water in Boston.
C) an oil spill on the Santa Barbara beaches.
D) the highly publicized deaths of dozens of sperm whales.
E) controversies surrounding the spread of diseases in animals.

Question 22

Feminist social movements were evident in

A) the 1830s.
B) the 1890s.
C) the 1920s.
D) the 1960s.
E) all of the above.

Question 23

The Sierra Club was organized in the

A) 1990s.
B) 1980s.
C) 1970s.
D) 1960s.
E) 1890s.

Question 24

The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an example of a feminist organization whose membership incentives are primarily

A) material.
B) purposive.
C) solidary.
D) sociological.
E) concurrent.

Question 25

Organizations that attract members by appealing to a coherent set of usually controversial principles are called

A) political parties.
B) pressure groups.
C) splinter groups.
D) ideological interest groups.
E) out-party groups.

Question 26

The League of Women Voters is an example of a feminist organization whose membership incentives are primarily

A) material.
B) purposive.
C) concurrent.
D) ideological.
E) solidary.

Question 27

Union membership has actually grown in

A) the field of teaching.
B) the field of medicine.
C) the automobile industry.
D) government.
E) both A and D.

Question 28

PIRG is an organization dedicated to

A) working on and studying local consumer and political issues.
B) opposing the nuclear arms race.
C) representing conservatives on environmental issues.
D) providing campaign funds to unpopular candidates.
E) supporting civil rights for gays.

Question 29

Which of the following is not a liberal public-interest law firm?

A) The Center for Individual Rights
B) The American Civil Liberties Union
C) The NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund
D) The Women's Legal Defense Fund
E) The Natural Resources Defense Council

Question 30

Ralph Nader became famous after testifying in favor of a bill regarding

A) Social Security.
B) air pollution.
C) workers' compensation.
D) automobile safety.
E) gun control.

Question 31

Which powerful interest group lobbies for U.S. foreign aid and diplomatic policies favorable to Israel.

A) NRA
B) NOW
C) NAACP
D) AIPAC
E) AARP

Question 32

A major cause in the decline of union membership in the United States was a(n)

A) shift in the nation's economic life toward industrial production.
B) decline in public support for unions.
C) shift in the nation's economic life away from service delivery.
D) increase in the number of union members with purposive incentives.
E) increase in the number of union members with concurrent incentives.

Question 33

Which of the following is not a conservative public-interest law firm?

A) The Atlantic Legal Foundation
B) The Criminal Justice Legal Foundation
C) The Landmark Legal Foundation
D) The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights
E) The Washington Legal Foundation

Question 34

Which powerful interest group lobbies for policies that provide financial benefits and services to people over 50.

A) NRA
B) NOW
C) NAACP
D) AIPAC
E) AARP

Question 35

Ralph Nader founded a group called

A) the Automobile Responsibility Council.
B) Senior Pride.
C) Take Aim.
D) American Worker.
E) Public Citizen.

Question 36

Which of the following statements about a social movement is generally true?

A) The more extreme its position, the smaller its size.
B) The more liberal its position, the larger its size.
C) The more moderate its position, the smaller its size.
D) The more purposive its membership incentives, the smaller its size.
E) It can only take place when courts are open to the prospect of radical change in the law.

Question 37

Feminists groups that attract members through purposive incentives sometimes find that it is difficult to

A) attract media attention.
B) stir up controversy.
C) raise funds when Republicans are in office.
D) make their decisions stick on a local level.
E) remain consistent in their issue positions.

Question 38

Ralph Nader's attempt to influence Congress was followed by

A) his promotion to lead council for the AARP.
B) a clumsy attempt by General Motors to discredit his background.
C) a series of awards from the NRA.
D) his presidency of the Sierra Club.
E) his election to the House of Representatives.

Question 39

Today, only about ____ percent of American workers are covered by unions.

A) 12
B) 25
C) 35
D) 45
E) 55

Question 40

Public-interest lobbies typically make better progress when the administration is

A) Republican.
B) Democratic.
C) hostile.
D) friendly.
E) neutral.

Question 41

In 2008, the OMB estimated that Congress had approved more than _______ earmarks.

A) three hundred
B) seven hundred
C) one thousand
D) three thousand
E) eleven thousand

Question 42

In addition to seeking technical information from lobbyists, public officials often look to them for

A) help in persuading uncommitted voters.
B) assistance in their personal lives.
C) legal expertise.
D) political cues on particular issues.
E) inside tips on campaigning slogans.

Question 43

Although knowing that, for example, the oil industry is represented by more than 170 interest groups may be useful, this fact is important only if these groups

A) represent different interests.
B) are all membership groups.
C) are all lobbying organizations.
D) always protect the oil industry.
E) are representative of the population of oil interests.

Question 44

Which notable interest group issues ratings regarding legislators that are liberal?

A) The AFL-CIO
B) Americans for Democratic Action
C) Americans for Constitutional Action
D) The Consumer Federation of America
E) The League of Conservation Voters.

Question 45

The Americans who are most likely to join interest groups are

A) religious people.
B) people in small communities.
C) people from the lower socioeconomic classes and members of minority groups.
D) people in economic distress.
E) people with better-than-average incomes.

Question 46

Which of the following statements regarding earmarks is incorrect?

A) They have always existed.
B) They became more common in the 1970s and afterward.
C) Their expansion was prompted, in part, by the growth of the federal government.
D) Their expansion was prompted, in part, by the efforts of lobbyists.
E) None of the above.

Question 47

Which notable interest group issues ratings regarding legislators that are conservative?

A) The AFL-CIO
B) Americans for Democratic Action
C) Americans for Constitutional Action
D) The Consumer Federation of America
E) The League of Conservation Voters

Question 48

Probably the most effective commodity at the command of interest groups is

A) money.
B) allegiance.
C) persuasiveness.
D) media access.
E) information.

Question 49

A provision law that directs benefits to a client without review on the merits by all members of Congress is known as a(n)

A) logroll.
B) dovetail.
C) earmark.
D) back-scratch.
E) tag line

Question 50

Which notable interest group issues ratings regarding legislators that are pro-consumer?

A) The AFL-CIO
B) Americans for Democratic Action
C) Americans for Constitutional Action
D) The Consumer Federation of America
E) The League of Conservation Voters

Question 51

Unions composed of individuals in __________ are becoming the most important part of the union movement.

A) the field of teaching
B) the field of medicine
C) the automobile industry
D) government
E) both B and C

Question 52

Ratings that are generated by interest groups are sometimes problematic because

A) they are statistically complex.
B) they are provided in very lengthy reports.
C) of arbitrary assessments or bias in measures.
D) no one takes credit for their calculations.
E) all of the above.

Question 53

The Republican activist William Kristol used __________ to guide members of Congress in opposition to Clinton's health care plan.

A) automated phone calls
B) postal surveys
C) Washington-based billboards
D) e-mail talking points
E) computer-operated fax machines

Question 54

The value of information, the power of the lobbyists, and thus the success of interest groups are greatest when the issue

A) also involves other interest groups.
B) is fairly narrow.
C) is broad enough to gather mass support.
D) is a highly visible national policy.
E) is both broad and visible.

Question 55

Each of the following is an important source of funds for lobbying organizations except

A) foundation grants.
B) membership dues.
C) government grants.
D) direct-mail solicitations.
E) Options A, B, and C.

Question 56

When the Civil Aeronautics Board was setting airline rates and conferring air routes on various cities, most of those appearing at its hearings were

A) airline companies.
B) passenger representatives.
C) government officials.
D) lawyers.
E) airport employees.

Question 57

Lobbyists are restrained from misrepresenting facts or misleading legislators by

A) the 1984 Truth-in-Lobbying Law.
B) the open nature of the lobbying process.
C) governmental regulatory agencies such as the FTA.
D) the fear of losing legislators' trust and confidence.
E) supervision of the federal courts.

Question 58

Probably the best measure of an interest group's influence is its

A) size.
B) wealth.
C) organizational skill.
D) contacts.
E) issue dexterity.

Question 59

Which notable interest group issues ratings regarding legislators that are pro-labor?

A) The AFL-CIO
B) Americans for Democratic Action
C) Americans for Constitutional Action
D) The Consumer Federation of America
E) The League of Conservation Voters

Question 60

Which of the following interest groups will probably have the most difficult time raising money?

A) A lobbying organization representing a nonprofit organization
B) A lobbying organization representing a for-profit organization
C) A membership organization relying on appeals to purpose
D) A membership organization relying on solidary incentives
E) Both A and B

Question 61

May a member of Congress start a political action committee (PAC)?

A) No-PACs are organizations, not individuals.
B) No-PACs influence legislators and therefore cannot consist of legislators.
C) Yes-and many have.
D) Yes-but only after the legislator leaves Congress.
E) Yes-but only after being reelected at least once.

Question 62

Which of the following topics might not lend itself to the use of an outsider strategy?

A) Complex tax legislation
B) Abortion
C) Social Security
D) Environmental protection
E) Affirmative action

Question 63

The text asserts that, although the civil rights and antiwar movements of the 1960s have dissipated,

A) their "veterans" continue to use the same tactics.
B) they could return under the right set of circumstances.
C) their causes are just as urgent today.
D) they should not be accorded historical respectability.
E) they are more unified than ideological.

Question 64

Disruption or making trouble is

A) a tactic most commonly used by extremist groups.
B) a tactic used by have-nots and those who otherwise would have little influence.
C) becoming less and less common in politics.
D) a tactic used by conservatives.
E) a quite conventional political resource.

Question 65

Sometimes money affects legislative behavior not so much by buying votes as by ensuring

A) access.
B) veto power.
C) procedural fairness.
D) favorable implementation.
E) sympathy in administrative hearings.

Question 66

A government official might leave her position and join a corporation to which she previously awarded government contracts. This is a clear example of

A) agency lacing.
B) government operating on its own inner logic.
C) a conflict of interest.
D) double dipping.
E) the revolving door.

Question 67

The type of interest group that increased its numbers most rapidly during the early 1980s was the

A) corporate political action committee (PAC).
B) labor PAC.
C) professional PAC.
D) ideological PAC.
E) legislative PAC.

Question 68

In recent years, interest groups frequently use a grassroots lobbying strategy referred to as the

A) insider.
B) wholesale.
C) collective.
D) outsider.
E) end run.

Question 69

Which of the following statements about business political action committees (PACs) is generally true?

A) They give most of their money to Democrats.
B) They give most of their money to Republicans.
C) They divide their money between Democrats and Republicans.
D) They promote education rather than candidates.
E) They change party allegiance frequently.

Question 70

The proportion of all House campaign funding that is contributed by political action committees (PACs) is approximately _____ percent.

A) 10
B) 33
C) 66
D) 85
E) 90

Question 71

By 2008, there were over _____ political action committees (PACs).

A) one thousand
B) two thousand
C) three thousand
D) four thousand
E) ten thousand

Question 72

Over half of all political action committees (PACs) are sponsored by

A) corporations.
B) labor unions.
C) trade associations.
D) public interest groups.
E) citizens' groups.

Question 73

An example cited by the text of how grassroots opposition to a governmental action can influence Congress is

A) the Food and Drug Administration's banning of saccharin.
B) the Forest Service's banning of campfires in national parks.
C) the Environmental Protection Agency's approval of acid rain.
D) the Central Intelligence Agency's approval of strategic assassination.
E) the Internal Revenue Service's approval of electronic filing.

Question 74

The increase in political action committees (PACs) might actually reduce the probability that members of Congress can be bought easily because

A) there are so many restrictions on PACs.
B) PACs have such a poor reputation among legislators.
C) PACs are not allowed to communicate directly with members of Congress.
D) members of Congress do not have the time to consider more than one or two points of view.
E) money is available on every side of almost every conceivable issue.

Question 75

Interest-group activity is protected under the U.S. Constitution by

A) the First Amendment.
B) the Fourth Amendment.
C) the Fourteenth Amendment.
D) the Twenty-second Amendment.
E) none of the above.

Question 76

All of the following activities are specifically forbidden by the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 except

A) bribery.
B) refusal of a president to disclose income from stocks and bonds.
C) employment of a former government official by a lobbying group.
D) outside employment by a government official if such employment might create a conflict of interest.
E) solicitation of funds for the performance of duties.

Question 77

The campaign finance reforms of 1973

A) encouraged a rapid growth in political action committees (PACs).
B) led to a slight decrease in the number of political action committees (PACs).
C) led to a significant decrease in the number of political action committees (PACs).
D) had no impact on the number of political action committees (PACs).
E) reduced PAC spending.

Question 78

The scholarly evidence that political action committee (PAC) money buys votes in Congress

A) is sketchy at best.
B) is fairly strong but still inconclusive.
C) is substantial.
D) is conclusive.
E) clearly documents that there is absolutely no relationship between contributions and votes.

Question 79

Former executive branch employees may not appear before any agency for _______ on matters that came within the former employee's official sphere of responsibility.

A) one month
B) six months
C) one year
D) two years
E) ten years

Question 80

The Court's decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission allowed _________ to fund "electioneering communications" within 30 days of a primary election.

A) business corporations
B) non profit organizations
C) unions
D) all of the above
E) none of the above