Deck 9: Influencing the Political Environment

Question 1

In many countries,the political environment has a select few participants.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Most scholars agree that business must participate in politics.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The solar power industry has yet to become an active participant in the U.S.political environment.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Two or more participants joining together to act in concert in the political process is called:

A) A political coalition.
B) An ad hoc coalition.
C) Cooperation.
D) Regulation.

Question 5

Loaning office personnel is a financial-incentive political strategy tool.

Question 6

Sometimes businesspeople leave the private sector to take employment in government before returning to the corporate world.

Question 7

The emergence of public issues often encourages companies to monitor public concerns,respond to government proposals,and participate in the political process.

Question 8

Public policies and government regulations are shaped by:

A) Business.
B) Special interest groups.
C) Government.
D) All of the above.

Question 9

Public backlash in the Treyvon Martin case in which a black teenager was shot to death and his assailant defended his actions by claiming protection under Florida's "stand your ground" law prompted:

A) State legislatures to consider changing their regulation on civil rights.
B) Businesses to distance themselves from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
C) Walmart to stop selling guns and ammunition at its retail stores.
D) Businesses like Amazon.com, Coca Cola, Kraft Foods to stand up to civil rights groups.

Question 10

Under U.S.law,lobbying activities must be disclosed publicly.

Question 11

Proponents of business as a political participant argue:

A) A pluralistic system invites many participants.
B) It is business's constitutional right to be involved.
C) Business is a vital stakeholder of government.
D) Both A and C, but not

Question 12

When a manager directly employs a lobbyist to represent the company's political strategy in Washington this is called aggressive organizational involvement in politics.

Question 13

According to the textbook,the heads of most public affairs departments are senior vice president or vice president positions.

Question 14

The most effective type of lobbying involves targeting only federal officials.

Question 15

Various stakeholder groups often use far different tactics than businesses to influence government officials,elections,and regulation.

Question 16

Labor unions have been an active participant in United States politics for decades.

Question 17

Expert witnesses provide information to legislators for businesses or business groups.

Question 18

Businesses must wait for a public issue to arise before forming a political strategy.

Question 19

According to the textbook,until 2010,corporations were permitted by law to make direct contributions to political candidates for national and most state offices.

Question 20

In a 2011 Harris poll,how many people believed that political action committees were seen as too powerful?

A) 87 percent.
B) 65 percent.
C) 47 percent.
D) 15 percent.

Question 21

The National Energy Plan signed into law by President Bush:

A) Extended daylight savings time 11 weeks.
B) Shortened daylight savings time 5 weeks.
C) Extended daylight savings time 4 weeks.
D) Was opposed by the barbecue industry.

Question 22

Companies have been permitted to contribute to political action committees since:

A) The early 1950s.
B) The mid-1970s.
C) The mid-1980s.
D) Never, they are prohibited by U.S. law.

Question 23

According to the textbook,under the existing U.S.campaign contribution law,individuals:

A) Can give more to PACs, and PACs can always give more to individual candidates.
B) Can give more to PACs, and PACs can give more to each candidate depending on their number of contributors.
C) Cannot give more to PACs, but PACs can give more to individual candidates.
D) Cannot give more to PACs, and PACs cannot give more to individual candidates.

Question 24

One of the most effective organizations promoting direct communications between business and policymakers is:

A) The Knights of the Roundtable.
B) The Business Roundtable.
C) The Government Partnership Roundtable.
D) The Strategic Roundtable.

Question 25

To influence government policymakers' actions,an information strategy involves:

A) Business leaders speaking before government policymakers.
B) Government policymakers hiring special interest groups for fact-finding projects.
C) Businesses listening to government policymakers in order to develop a corporate strategy.
D) Gaining support from other affected organizations.

Question 26

One of the most common financial-incentive strategy tools is:

A) Political action committee contributions.
B) Political consulting aid.
C) Advocacy advertising.
D) Lobbying.

Question 27

A corporate political strategy does not:

A) Hinder a competitor's ability to compete economically.
B) Seek to continue the firm's economic survival or growth.
C) Determine the legal limits allowed for campaign financing.
D) Exercise a firm's right to a voice in government affairs.

Question 28

Which of the following is not a constituency-building strategy tool?

A) Expert witness testimony.
B) Advocacy advertising.
C) Public relations.
D) Legal challenges.

Question 29

Businesses promote an information strategy by inviting government leaders to:

A) Visit local plant facilities.
B) Attend company award ceremonies.
C) Give speeches to employees.
D) All of the above.

Question 30

Hiring former government officials for positions in the corporate world is:

A) Normally legal.
B) Always unethical.
C) Considered unethical by over 50% of Americans.
D) A and C, but not

Question 31

Advocacy ads are also called:

A) Issue advertisements.
B) Research and development plans.
C) Constituent advertisements.
D) Price control advertisements.

Question 32

Which type of organization's political action committee gave the greatest amount by total contribution in 2011-2012?

A) A trade association.
B) A labor union.
C) A business.
D) An academic institution.

Question 33

Lobbyists,under U.S.law,must disclose their:

A) Political affiliation and expenses.
B) Earnings.
C) Expenses.
D) Earnings and expenses.

Question 34

According to the textbook,under the existing U.S.campaign contributions law,individuals can contribute:

A) Up to $1,400 to any candidate per election.
B) Up to $2,500 to any candidate per election.
C) Up to $5,400 to any candidate per election.
D) Nothing, only organizations can contribute to candidates.

Question 35

The information strategy tool most used by business is:

A) Political contributions.
B) Lobbying.
C) Legal challenges.
D) Direct communication.

Question 36

Since 1998,the total amount spent on lobbying activity has increased about:

A) 12 percent.
B) 32 percent.
C) 57 percent.
D) 72 percent.

Question 37

Firms in the chemical industry,which must contend with frequently changing environmental regulations and the risk of dangerous accidents,usually have:

A) No defined political strategy.
B) A sophisticated political strategy.
C) A political strategy focused on intellectual property rights.
D) A political strategy focused on licensing rights.

Question 38

A common tactic in a financial-incentive political strategy is:

A) Lobbying.
B) Legal challenges.
C) Expert witness testimony.
D) Political contributions.

Question 39

Expert witness testimony is often provided:

A) Through company newsletters.
B) On the steps of the White House.
C) In Congressional hearings.
D) In The Wall Street Journal.

Question 40

Economic leverage occurs when a business uses it economic power to:

A) Hire lobbyists to gain a desired political action.
B) Pay for the costs of regulation to acquire a desired political action.
C) Threaten to leave a location unless a desired political action is taken.
D) Buyout another firm to acquire a desired political action.

Question 41

Who are the major participants in the political process and are they cooperative or adversarial in their relations with each other?

Question 42

Compare and contrast the three levels of business political involvement.

Question 43

When a business seeks to overturn a law after it has been passed or threatens to challenge the legal legitimacy of the new regulation in the courts,this is called:

A) Accumulating.
B) Overturn lobbying.
C) Legal challenges.
D) Funneling.

Question 44

Supporters of advocacy advertisements believe that they:

A) Identify a company as an interested and active stakeholder.
B) Can help mold public opinion on a particular policy issue.
C) Increase union activity and long-term expenses for an organization.
D) Both A and B, but not

Question 45

Briefly describe the public policy process of a foreign country and its implication on the business political activity in that country.

Question 46

Describe two tactics used to promote each of the three types of corporate political strategies.

Question 47

When managers become personally involved in developing public policy,the firm is at what level of business political involvement?

A) Limited organizational involvement.
B) Moderate organizational involvement.
C) Aggressive organizational involvement.
D) Holistic organizational involvement.

Question 48

How do the three types of corporate political strategies differ from each other?

Question 49

Prepare a strong argument in favor of and in opposition to businesses being involved in the political process.

Question 50

When a firm solicits its stockholders for political contributions for a particular candidate by letter and then sends those contributions to the candidate on behalf of its stockholders,it is called:

A) Lobbying.
B) Bundling.
C) Collating.
D) Constituency building.

Question 51

Trade associations are:

A) Coalitions of companies in the same or related industries.
B) Prohibited by U.S. law.
C) Made up of unionized workers.
D) Found in developing countries.

Question 52

Describe the role of an organization's public affairs department and describe who would be in charge of that department.