Deck 7: Elites and Organized Interests

Question 1

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) strong federal government action at our borders.
C) strong police powers so as to allow maximum freedom.
D) all of the above

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The Iron Law of oligarchy reminds us

A) all organizations have clear goals.
B) all organizations have equal access to members.
C) all organizations have elites.
D) all organizations have an equal impact.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

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.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

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

A) lobbyists.
B) demagogues.
C) members of Congress.
D) civil rights organizations.

Question 5

The AARP focuses on

A) seniors.
B) ethnology firms.
C) public employees.
D) the poor and uneducated.

Question 6

In a 2011 Harris poll, a majority of respondents felt too much influence on Washington was held by

A) interest groups in general.
B) the media.
C) "big companies."
D) religious groups.

Question 7

Interest groups mostly protect

A) corporate profits by always siding with corporations.
B) the values of the established elites, including their own leadership.
C) union bosses and their special interests.
D) public employee unions and their members.

Question 8

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

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

Question 9

Which of the following is a result of intense membership commitment to an issue?

A) Leaders have reduced freedom of action.
B) The link between leaders and followers is clearer.
C) It becomes harder to engage in the traditions of political compromise.
D) All of the above are true.

Question 10

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 an element of stability.
D) All of the above are true.

Question 11

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 12

Pluralism focuses primarily on

A) interest groups.
B) political parties.
C) presidential candidates.
D) the media.

Question 13

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 are very conservative.

Question 14

Power within the labor movement has shifted dramatically to

A) government employee unions.
B) industrial unions.
C) international unions.
D) the Teamsters Union.

Question 15

Liberal causes draw their membership from

A) the poor and disenfranchised.
B) ethnic and sexual minorities.
C) university-educated middle- and upper-class.
D) college students.

Question 16

EMILY's list

A) supports Republican candidates.
B) supports Democratic Asian candidates.
C) supports ex-military candidates from both parties.
D) supports Democratic women candidates.

Question 17

Interest group activity is generally protected by

A) elite preferences.
B) large financial resources.
C) laws passed by Congress.
D) the First Amendment.

Question 18

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 19

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 20

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

A) over $60,000 to help elect Barack Obama.
B) over $600,000 to help elect Barack Obama.
C) over $6,000,000 to help elect Barack Obama.
D) over $60,000,000 to help elect Barack Obama.

Question 21

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 22

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

A) have the dirt needed to blackmail officials.
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 23

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 24

The regulatory requirement of disclosure means that lobbyists must

A) publish in a newspaper how much they contributed to whom.
B) report to the government 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 25

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 26

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) lawyers and pharmaceutical companies
D) unions and real estate

Question 27

Among organized interests groups

A) most have similar resources.
B) there is a level playing field.
C) single interest groups have little power.
D) there is considerable inequality.

Question 28

As they grow older, interest groups shift their energy from trying to implement their original values to

A) implementing more timely policy proposals.
B) maintaining their stake in the system.
C) building coalitions with other groups.
D) fundraising.

Question 29

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 30

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 31

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 Transportation.
D) the Department of Energy.

Question 32

The largest number of PACs come from

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

Question 33

To get congressional support, lobbyists can often exchange their

A) finances.
B) knowledge.
C) loyalty.
D) support on other issues.

Question 34

PACs give most of their money to

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

Question 35

Lobbying takes place in which of the following parts of government?

A) Congress
B) Executive agencies
C) State legislatures
D) All of the above

Question 36

An example of grassroots mobilization by lobbyists is

A) buying ads in a legislator's home district newspaper.
B) arranging for protestors to visit a legislator's home.
C) spamming Congressional email accounts.
D) flying constituents from a legislator's district to the capital.

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 greatest gift a lobbyist can offer is

A) money.
B) to mobilize voters on behalf of a candidate.
C) information.
D) access to high society.

Question 39

The real key to success in lobbying is the

A) personal charm of the lobbyist.
B) ability to organize grassroots activities.
C) campaign contribution.
D) ability to hire former government officials.

Question 40

Organized interest groups are governed by small elites

A) whose values directly reflect those of most members.
B) whose values do not necessarily reflect those of most members.
C) whose values are formed by those of most members.
D) whose values are disconnected from those of most members.

Question 41

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

Question 42

Multiple group affiliation helps to modify the demands of any one group and thus reduce ____________________.

Question 43

The ____________________ states that even the most democratically inclined organizations gradually evolve into being run by a small elite.

Question 44

Pluralism focuses on the activities and membership of ___________________in the political process.

Question 45

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

Question 46

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

Question 47

Lobbyist-driven floods of cards and letters from a home district to a legislator is called ____________________.

Question 48

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

Question 49

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

Question 50

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

Question 51

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

Question 52

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

Question 53

Although the AARP was heavily involved throughout the progress of the 2003 Medicaid prescription drug benefit, the real winners were the drug manufacturers, HMOs and ____________________.

Question 54

Interest groups mostly protect the values of ____________________ including their own leadership.

Question 55

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

Question 56

Testimony at ____________________ is a common form of information exchange between lobbyists and legislators.

Question 57

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

Question 58

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

Question 59

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

Question 60

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

Question 61

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

Question 62

Lower-income and middle-class blacks lead civil rights organizations.

Question 63

Lobbyists are most effective when they bend the truth to suit their needs.

Question 64

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

Question 65

Lobbying firms will create "spontaneous" grassroots outpourings of support on issues.

Question 66

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

Question 67

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

Question 68

In a 2009 interview, the president of the SEIU said his union gave $60.7 million to help elect Barack Obama.

Question 69

Ideological organizations rely heavily on computerized mailing lists for fundraising.

Question 70

Ads and endorsements that are not paid for by a candidate's campaign organization are called ____________________.

Question 71

Civil rights organization leaders must represent the views of African-American masses.

Question 72

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

Question 73

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

Question 74

Both black leaders and followers tend to be social conservatives.

Question 75

For presidential and congressional elections, the top 20 donors, most are____________________.

Question 76

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

Question 77

Interest groups mostly protect the values of the established elites, including their own leadership.

Question 78

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

Question 79

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

Question 80

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