Deck 8: Interest Groups

Question 1

Abolitionist and women's suffrage groups paralleled each other in using the _________ as a rationale for supporting their policy goals.

A) principle of equality
B) principle of freedom
C) principle of lobbying
D) principle of justice
E) principle of diminishing returns

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The American Bar Association (lawyers), the American Medical Association (doctors), and the American International Automobile Dealers Association (car dealers) are examples of __________. These groups are frequently responsible for setting guidelines for professional conduct, from business practices to personal ethics, and for collectively representing the members in the policy process.

A) grassroots movement groups
B) professional associations
C) trade associations
D) unions
E) all of these.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The membership of economic interest groups tends to be exclusive because

A) few people can afford to join their groups.
B) their purpose is to secure tangible economic benefits for themselves.
C) they ultimately plan to merge with similar groups.
D) their professional association is limited.
E) they can't make an impact with a large group of people.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The act of trying to persuade elected officials to adopt a specific policy change or to maintain the status quo is called __________.

A) bartering
B) manipulation
C) free exercise
D) lobbying
E) association

Question 5

In recent years, private sector union membership has ________.

A) plateaued
B) stagnated
C) increased
D) declined
E) moderated

Question 6

__________ are typically formed to draw attention to public issues that affect all citizens equally, such as environmental protection, transparency in government, consumer product safety, ethics reform, and campaign finance reform.

A) Citizens' groups
B) Professional associations
C) Single-issue groups
D) Trade associations
E) Unions

Question 7

Interest groups form for all of the following reasons EXCEPT _________.

A) to make people feel better
B) to advance economic status
C) to express an ideological viewpoint
D) to influence public policy
E) to promote activism in international affairs

Question 8

Alexis de Tocqueville noted that the formation of group life was an important element of the success of _________ in America.

A) interest groups
B) democracy
C) political action committees
D) socialism
E) unions

Question 9

Citizens join groups to

A) advance their personal economic well-being.
B) get their voice heard as part of a larger group's efforts on an issue.
C) meet like-minded citizens.
D) participate in a democratic society.
E) do all of these.

Question 10

The__________ enforces mandatory standards for worker safety and health guidelines and oversees bargaining agreements between management and unions.

A) Association for Workers' Safety and Health
B) Department of Labor
C) Department of Safety
D) International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union
E) Workers' Moderation Union

Question 11

Workers organized _______ to protect their interest and counteract the power of wealthy business corporations

A) assemblies
B) civic groups
C) churches
D) protests
E) unions

Question 12

A  ________ forms when a person sees an opening or opportunity to create a group for social, political, or economic purposes.

A) political party
B) reactive group
C) proactive group
D) social group
E) lateral group

Question 13

__________ are a subcategory of economic interest groups that focus on particular businesses or industries. Examples include the National Association of Manufacturers, Chamber of Commerce, National Retail Federation, and Semiconductor Industry Association.

A) Citizens' groups
B) Professional associations
C) Trade associations
D) Unions
E) All of these

Question 14

Trade associations form out of a  belief that _________ they can better influence the policy process.

A) collectively
B) individually
C) grassroots
D) substantially
E) authoritatively

Question 15

The First Amendment provides for the _________, which is the cornerstone of interest group protection.

A) right to practice
B) right to manipulation
C) right  to free speech
D) right of association
E) right of special interest

Question 16

In 1831, the political theorist __________ observed that Americans liked to form groups and join associations as a way of participating in community and political life.

A) Alexis de Tocqueville
B) David Hume
C) Immanuel Kant
D) Niccolò Machiavelli
E) Thomas Hobbes

Question 17

The right of petition gives individuals

A) the right to ask for compensation.
B) the right to ask for a policy change.
C) the right to express opposition to a policy.
D) none of these.
E) all of these rights.

Question 18

When a group forms in response to an economic or political event but does not focus on only one issue, the group is said to be a __________.

A) grassroots movement
B) union
C) special interest
D) political action committee
E) nongovernmental organization

Question 19

In recent years, public employee unions have come under increasing challenge over issues related to

A) issue networks.
B) international trade.
C) wages and pensions.
D) Medicare and Medicaid.
E) grassroots mobilization.

Question 20

In recent years, __________ by public sector unions, such as those representing teachers and government employees, has come under attack by advocates for small government, including members of the Tea Party movement.

A) trade associations
B) union polarization
C) collective bargaining
D) trade and professional associations
E) citizens' groups

Question 21

The __________restricted corporations and unions from using television and radio ads for "electioneering communications" that refer to a candidate by name within thirty days of a primary and sixty days of a general election.

A) McCain-Feingold Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
B) Federal Election Commission Reform Act
C) Political Action Committee Reform Act
D) McCain-Feingold Commission Reform Act
E) None of these are true.

Question 22

There are three common pathways to becoming a Washington lobbyist: working on Capitol Hill, __________, or working on a political campaign.

A) working with a State Senator or House Representative
B) working for the House of Representatives
C) working for the Senate
D) working in the executive branch
E) None of these are true.

Question 23

In  Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission,  the Court ruled that individuals, corporations, and unions can ______.

A) donate as much money as they want to candidates
B) donate as much money as they want to political parties
C) spend as much money as they want for lobbying purposes
D) spend as much money as they want on issue ads
E) do all of these

Question 24

Groups with tax-exempt status, known as _________, are prohibited from engaging in any activity on behalf of a candidate or party in an election campaign.

A) 409(b)(6)
B) 93(aa)(23)
C) 501(b)(3)
D) 808(tr)(d)
E) 501(c)(3)

Question 25

__________ is a view of the democratic society in which interest groups will compete over policy goals, and elected officials are mediators of group conflict.

A) Conservative
B) Pluralist
C) Independent
D) Liberal
E) Disproportionate

Question 26

Citizen groups such as Common Cause, and single issues groups such as the National Rifle Association are examples of __________.

A) trade associations
B) grassroots movements
C) unions
D) ideological interest groups
E) economic interest groups

Question 27

E. E. Schattschneider believed that interest groups were a threat to __________.

A) society
B) polyarchy
C) democracy
D) pluralism
E) majoritarianism

Question 28

When the federal government shut down in October 2013, the congressmen who refused to vote for continued funding did so due to lobbying pressure from the ________.

A) AARP
B) Sierra Club
C) National Rifle Association
D) Club for Growth
E) NAACP

Question 29

Groups formed to raise and contribute funds to support electoral candidates and that are subject to campaign finance laws are called _________.

A) unions
B) political action committees
C) special interests
D) 501(c)(3)
E) activist organizations

Question 30

Which of the following technologies would seem to have the greatest impact on the ability of interest groups to provide information?

A) cell phones
B) laptop computers
C) the Internet
D) iPods
E) newspapers

Question 31

Which organization was the top spender on lobbying in 2013?

A) American Medical Association
B) U.S. Chamber of Commerce
C) Blue Cross/Blue Shield
D) AARP
E) Comcast Corporation

Question 32

__________ are not affiliated with any government and work hard to preserve their neutrality so that they can operate in as many parts of the world as possible.

A) Interest groups
B) Lobbyists
C) Nongovernmental organizations
D) Political action committees
E) All these

Question 33

Given the amount of money that PACs spend on campaign support, many people are concerned that

A) PACs don't share the public interest.
B) PACs are restricted from freely donating money.
C) PACs exert a disproportionate influence over legislators.
D) PACs don't share workers' interests.
E) PACs are actively engaging in the electoral arena.

Question 34

During a typical day, lobbyists phone, e-mail, and meet with congressional staffers, their clients, and possibly members of the media to gather information about relevant issues for their clients or

A) to promote their clients' policy positions.
B) to promote their staffers ' agenda.
C) to promote their staffers to higher positions within their committee.
D) to promote their own agenda by outdoing the others at any means possible.
E) none of these.

Question 35

One of the best-known organizations that seeks to influence foreign policy is the __________.

A) American Israel Public Affairs Committee
B) Global Solidarity Network
C) National Council of the Churches of Christ
D) Amnesty International
E) Human Rights Watch

Question 36

Generally speaking, the Supreme Court has ruled that campaign spending is a form a speech, and the Court requires that Congress show a _________ before it can regulate it.

A) self-interest
B) rational interest
C) practical interest
D) compelling interest
E) basic interest

Question 37

When the Sierra Club posted a notice on its website informing members about EPA regulations that took a strong stance against climate change, they were acting in their capacity to ________.

A) inform
B) manipulate
C) influence
D) propagandize
E) obfuscate

Question 38

Robert Dahl argued that in a __________ society, the varied interest groups that emerge to represent their members will, in their battles over public policy, produce a consensus that serves the public's common interest.

A) capitalist
B) Communist
C) majoritarian
D) pluralist
E) totalitarian

Question 39

When lobbyists deal directly with legislators and their staff to seek specific policy or to stop one, they are engaging in a(n) _________.

A) beltway strategy
B) insider strategy
C) outsider strategy
D) grassroots strategy
E) backroom strategy

Question 40

In  McCutcheon et al. v. Federal Election Commission,  the Court expanded the right of a(n)_________ to spend unlimited money on federal elections.

A) individual
B) corporation
C) union
D) special interest
E) political action committee

Question 41

__________ goods are available to all, whether they have contributed toward the provision of that good or not.

A) Expressive
B) Material
C) Private
D) Public
E) Social

Question 42

Benefits that are offered exclusively to members of an interest group are known as __________.

A) public goods
B) selective benefits
C) expressive benefits
D) financial stability
E) membership stability

Question 43

Being able to express an opinion in the larger social or political sphere can be considered a(n) __________ benefit.

A) expressive
B) material
C) political
D) solidarity
E) social

Question 44

The__________ is among the most successful large-scale interest groups in American history; in 2013, it claimed a membership of 37 million.

A) Chamber of Commerce
B) American Political Science Association
C) AARP (formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons)
D) National Rifle Association
E) Sierra Club

Question 45

Describe what an interest group is.

Question 46

Critics of the influence of interest groups argue

A) iron triangles are unbreakable.
B) iron triangles contribute to government inefficiency.
C) iron triangles support programs that should be eliminated.
D) iron triangles unnecessarily enlarge programs to meet their needs.
E) all of these.

Question 47

In assessing the power of interest groups in a democracy, it is important to remember that interest groups

A) do not represent the majority of people.
B) have millions of dollars in funding.
C) always act in their own self-interest.
D) create losses for the general public.
E) do not pass or implement laws.

Question 48

Over a hundred years ago, Robert Michels coined the phrase "__________" to describe when interest group leaders do not properly serve their members, and he argued that larger interest groups were especially susceptible to unresponsive or abusive leaderships.

A) iron alliance
B) iron law of oligarchy
C) iron triangle
D) revolving door
E) selective benefits

Question 49

The frustrating aspect of interest groups in a democracy is

A) that most groups experience wins and losses over time.
B) that every group has to make its case.
C) that they shift the balance of power.
D) that the groups talk over each other and not with each other.
E) none of these.

Question 50

The relationship among interest groups, members of Congress, and federal agencies is referred to by scholars as the ________.

A) iron triangle
B) iron circle
C) iron bar
D) iron octagon
E) iron cube

Question 51

The simple pleasure of being surrounded by people with similar interests and perspectives and who share professional or personal concerns is an example of a(n) __________ benefit.

A) expressive
B) material
C) political
D) solidary
E) social

Question 52

Movement of members of Congress, lobbyists, and executive branch employees into paid positions in each other's organizations is known as __________.

A) democratic society
B) iron triangle
C) revolving door
D) interest group
E) selective benefits

Question 53

A set of groups seeking a particular benefit for themselves in the policy process are known as ________.

A) corporate interests
B) union interests
C) special interests
D) citizen interests
E) group interests

Question 54

Hugh Heclo suggests that the term "__________" is better than iron triangle, and argues that interest groups, members of Congress, and bureaucrats all share information constantly, and that their interactions are actually quite open and transparent, rather than closed.

A) bureaucracy
B) issue network
C) iron alliance
D) military-industrial complex
E) policy network

Question 55

__________ worried that a power elite controlled power in the American democracy.

A) Alexis de Tocqueville
B) C. Wright Mills
C) David Truman
D) Mancur Olson
E) James Madison

Question 56

President Eisenhower was greatly concerned about an iron triangle of __________, but now the term applies to a wide range of issues.

A) economic policy
B) health care policy
C) prescription drug policy
D) military defense policy
E) None of these are true.

Question 57

In order to keep group membership stable, interest groups offer ________ to its members.

A) exclusionary benefits
B) selective benefits
C) reactive benefits
D) amicus benefits
E) societal benefits

Question 58

A(n) __________ organizes citizens into a formal group that agrees on a united purpose and then takes a leadership role in directing the group's activities.

A) bureaucrat
B) civilian
C) interest group entrepreneur
D) issue network
E) student leader

Question 59

When a group lobbies for public goods or collective benefits that are so widespread that members and nonmembers alike receive them, incentives to join the group disappear. Mancur Olson called this the

A) free rider problem.
B) problem of public goods.
C) security dilemma.
D) selective benefits problem.
E) tragedy of the commons.

Question 60

Concern for _________ among an interest group society can sometimes bring an interest group into conflict with its core principles.

A) finances
B) survival
C) members
D) issues
E) stability

Question 61

Discuss what lobbyists usually do during a typical day in Washington and its politics.

Question 62

Describe the iron law of oligarchy.

Question 63

Explain why Madison and the Framers feared factions.

Question 64

Explain where in the Constitution interest groups gain their right to exist.

Question 65

Do you think interest groups from from the bottom up of from the top down?

Question 66

Define political action committee .

Question 67

How do interest groups utilize the press's watchdog role over the government? Be able to explain how they do so.

Question 68

Explain the differences between the pluralist and elitist view of society.

Question 69

Discuss the parallels between the women's suffrage movement and antislavery efforts early on in our political history.

Question 70

Identify indicators of interest group influence.

Question 71

Explain how interest groups keep members informed.

Question 72

Provide a detailed explanation of the iron triangle.

Question 73

Explain why interest groups may be detrimental to the general public.

Question 74

Describe the different types of economic interest groups.

Question 75

Name sources of financial stability.

Question 76

Identify two interest groups with an enduring voice in American democracy.

Question 77

Recall the routes of influence that interest groups can use.

Question 78

What are PACs, and how are they regulated? Be specific on how they are regulated.

Question 79

Relate what James Madison said about factions in Federalist 10 to the study of interest groups in our modern society.

Question 80

Explain how ideological groups can encourage political participation in a democratic society and also contribute to the polarization of the American public overall.