Deck 12: Interest Groups and Social Movements

Question 1

Which of the following statements is accurate?

A) Interest groups have unrestricted influence over Canadian politics due to freedom of expression.
B) Most special interest groups face enormous resource challenges and institutional barriers in engaging governments and achieving their policy objectives.
C) By law, Canadian social movements must remain organizationally separate from those in other countries.
D) All of the above

Answer 1

B

Question 2

What is a political organization that seeks to influence public policy without competing for elected office?

A) interest group
B) social movement
C) lobbyist
D) think tank

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Elections Canada refers to interest groups as ________, in the sense that they are actors outside the formal world of candidates and political parties.

A) second-class actors
B) third parties
C) the fourth estate
D) fifth bodies

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following statements is accurate?

A) Interest groups help promote or highlight public policy issues that might otherwise go unnoticed.
B) At least one-in-ten citizens reports participating in one of the estimated 20,000 interest groups in Canada.
C) Select interest groups may actually serve on behalf of the government, monitoring compliance with state legislation or regulations, or even formally delivering programs and services on behalf of the government.
D) All of the above

Question 5

By law at the federal level, interest groups must register with ________ if they spend $500 or more on advertising during a federal election.

A) the Lobbying Commissioner
B) Elections Canada
C) the Prime Minister's Office
D) a political party

Question 6

Some interest groups fake a public image to appear less elitist. This is called:

A) hacktivism
B) champagne socialism
C) astroturfing
D) lobbying

Question 7

_____ interest groups are those that become highly structured and entrenched in the formal political system.

A) Grassroots
B) Westminister
C) Institutionalized
D) Special

Question 8

Women's interest groups have been better funded and more influential at the federal level when:

A) the Conservative Party has been in government.
B) the Liberal Party has been in government.
C) the prime minister is a woman.
D) Progressive Conservative Party was led by a woman.

Question 9

In Canada, lobbying is a(n) ________ activity with a ________ public image.

A) illegitimate; poor
B) illegal; positive
C) legitimate; poor
D) illegal; poor

Question 10

Which of the following non-governmental organizations is frequently commissioned by governments to perform policy studies, including issuing independent reports on things like fiscal transfers and postal services?

A) The Conference Board of Canada
B) Greenpeace
C) Amnesty International
D) The Public Service Alliance of Canada

Question 11

What are loosely-organized political organizations that focus on one or two narrow concerns?

A) institutionalized interest groups
B) issue-oriented interest groups
C) social movements
D) pressure groups

Question 12

________ promote policies that they feel will benefit broader society or a political minority.

A) Public interest groups
B) Private interest groups
C) Self-interested interest groups
D) Silent interest groups

Question 13

Which of the following is true of self-interested interest groups?

A) They act to advance the interests of their membership.
B) They tend to represent a large membership.
C) They include organizations representing businesses and unions.
D) All of the above

Question 14

Which of the following statements about Canadian interest group funding is accurate?

A) Some interest groups receive direct funding from governments.
B) Some interest groups have charitable status, allowing them to issue tax receipts to donors.
C) Some interest groups charge membership dues.
D) All of the above

Question 15

A think tank is:

A) group of public servants drawn from across government to work on a policy problem.
B) the name given to a political science department affiliated with the party in power.
C) a policy shop within a political party.
D) a quasi-academic organization that uses research to promote improvements to public policy.

Question 16

When advocacy groups initiate personal communication with public office holders in an effort to influence public policy, it is called:

A) public consultation
B) public engagement
C) litigation
D) lobbying

Question 17

Lobbyists tend to be which of the following?

A) retired public servants or politicians
B) employees of interest groups or corporations
C) independent consultants working for strategy firms
D) All of the above

Question 18

The Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada is:

A) an agent of Parliament.
B) the elected chair of the Government Relations Institute of Canada.
C) a judge who hears court cases involving interest groups and the federal government.
D) an Elections Canada official who oversees third party advertising.

Question 19

What is a collection of members of the general public who share a societal concern and seek changes to social values and behaviour?

A) self-interested interest group
B) social movement
C) community league
D) think tank

Question 20

What is the notion that people whose interests are promoted by a group will benefit from its efforts whether or not they actively participate in the group's activities?

A) the collective action problem
B) the iron law of oligarchy
C) prisoner's dilemma
D) voter's paradox

Question 21

Which of the following could be an example of slacktivism?

A) Changing a politician's Wikipedia entry to falsify their public record.
B) Adding a badge to your social media profile picture (e.g., a rainbow frame for Pride month).
C) Marching in a protest rally to condemn a foreign government's policies.
D) Volunteering two hours a week to make fundraising calls for a local interest group.

Question 22

Which of the following statements about lobbying at the federal level in Canada is inaccurate?

A) Lobbyists' activities must be publicly disclosed.
B) Certain public officials are barred from lobbying for 5 years after leaving government.
C) The activities of lobbyists remain ungoverned by any codes of conduct.
D) None of the above

Question 23

Which formative dispute over the funding of education exposed religious, language, and intergovernmental tensions in Canada?

A) the Ontario schools scandal
B) the Manitoba schools question
C) the Quebec schools question
D) the Alberta schools scandal

Question 24

What is the main difference between most social movements and most interest groups?

A) interest groups are confined to local politics; social movements are international in scope
B) interest groups have organizational hierarchies; social movements lack structure
C) interest groups focus on economic issues; social movements focus on social issues
D) interest groups are funded by government; social movements rely on private donations

Question 25

Activists representing which of the following groups tend to have access to greatest amount of tangible resources in Canada?

A) Women's groups
B) Businesses
C) Indigenous peoples
D) Environmental groups

Question 26

Approximately how many interest groups are there in Canada?

A) More than 1,000 but fewer than 5,000
B) More than 5,000 but fewer than 10,000
C) More than 10,000 but fewer than 15,000
D) More than 20,000

Question 27

Interest groups' memberships tend to be ________ than Canadians as a whole.

A) younger and less educated
B) more diverse
C) older, whiter, and wealthier
D) more conservative

Question 28

What does the term astroturfing mean?

A) corporate interest groups faking a green and environmentally-friendly image
B) elite interest groups faking a grassroots image
C) small interest groups running advertising campaigns to exaggerate their influence.
D) settler interest groups hiring Indigenous spokespeople to appear more inclusive.

Question 29

How long does the federal Accountability Act prevent senior government officials from working as lobbyists after leaving government?

A) there are no prohibitions
B) five years
C) ten years
D) for life

Question 30

What do Idle No More and #MeToo have in common?

A) they are both institutionalized interest groups
B) they are both single-issue interest groups
C) they are both social movements
D) None of the above

Question 31

What does the term "vertical mosaic" mean?

A) Canadian politics and society are based on an egalitarian system in which all cultures have equal opportunity and equal representation.
B) Canada's multicultural society is structured hierarchically so that certain cultures are predominant in politics and business.
C) Affirmative action has resulted in women, Indigenous people, and members of visible minority communities moving up the ladders of the corporate and political worlds.
D) While interest groups are prevalent throughout Canada, most concentrate their efforts on the federal level in Ottawa.

Question 32

What is politically motivated damage that exploits weaknesses in e-government?

A) covert lobbying
B) counter-litigation
C) hacktivism
D) cooling off

Question 33

Which interest group hosts an annual mock awards gala highlighting what it views as the worst instances of government waste at all levels?

A) CARP
B) United Farmers of Alberta
C) C.D. Howe Institute
D) Canadian Taxpayers Federation

Question 34

Which of the following is an example of astroturfing?

A) an interest group joins forces with a sports franchise to oppose domestic violence
B) an interest group stages a protest at the Olympics to gain international attention
C) an interest group uses hundreds of fake accounts to post comments in online sports forums
D) an interest group hires a high profile athlete to act as its honorary spokesperson

Question 35

Which of the following is not an example of an interest group in Canada?

A) Idle No More
B) Conference Board of Canada
C) Cooperative Commonwealth Federation
D) All of the above

Question 36

In early-twentieth century Canada, farmers formed:

A) a nationwide progressive movement.
B) an influential interest group in Saskatchewan.
C) a governing party in Ontario.
D) All of the above

Question 37

Which of the following is an accurate description of how interest groups act during federal elections in Canada?

A) Interest groups sometimes field their own candidates for public office.
B) Interest groups frequently provide financial donations to candidates running for office.
C) Interest groups run advertisements to set the issue agenda before and during the campaign.
D) All of the above

Question 38

In Canada, interest groups tend to organize around specific:

A) ideologies
B) policy issues
C) occupational groups
D) All of the above

Question 39

By law in Canada, federal lobbyists must publicly disclose:

A) which government bodies they engage.
B) whose interests they are advancing.
C) which issues are discussed during lobbying.
D) All of the above

Question 40

For a union seeking to raise labour standards across Canada, which of the following tactics would be most direct and effective?

A) lobby worker-friendly backbenchers in Ottawa
B) host a private dinner for premiers during the Council of the Federation meeting
C) write an open letter to the prime minister
D) run a series of advertisements on national conservative talk radio stations

Question 41

In the early days of Confederation, _______ worked together in court to achieve _____.

A) unions and the federal government; free trade with the United States
B) political and business elites; fewer restrictions on lobbying
C) business groups and provincial governments; greater autonomy for the provinces
D) farmers; stricter rules against lobbying

Question 42

By insisting that National Indigenous Organization (NIO) leaders meet with lower-ranking officials, rather than the prime minister or governor general, the federal government reinforces the perception that NIOs are:

A) in a nation-to-nation relationship with the Crown.
B) interest groups that must lobby Ottawa for support.
C) participating as equals in a government-to-government negotiation.
D) of the same constitutional status as provincial and territorial governments.

Question 43

Select interest groups may serve roles on behalf of the government, including:

A) monitoring the interest group members' compliance with legislation or regulations.
B) delivering public services.
C) devising policies to administer government programs.
D) All of the above

Question 44

Which of the following is not an example of a public-interest group (as distinct from a self-interested interest group)?

A) Greenpeace
B) Canadian Bankers Association
C) Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada
D) Canada Without Poverty

Question 45

Which of the following statements describes the state of women's interest groups in Canada in 2020?

A) The National Action Committee on the Status of Women remains disbanded.
B) The federal government has established a government department for the Status of Women.
C) An informal alliance of women's interest groups provides representation for a wider set of viewpoints.
D) All of the above

Question 46

Of the following tactics, which one's success depends least upon the size and cohesiveness of an interest group's formal membership?

A) a mass letter-writing campaign to a cabinet minister
B) cajoling local candidates to sign pledges committing them to take specific actions if elected
C) a boycott of a local business
D) a television advertising campaign against the sitting government

Question 47

Which of the following think tanks is not associated with the progressive political left?

A) Broadbent Institute
B) David Suzuki Foundation
C) Centre for Policy Alternatives
D) Canada West Foundation

Question 48

An example of an institutionalized interest group with a large membership base is:

A) CARP
B) The Public Service Alliance of Canada
C) Greenpeace
D) All of the above

Question 49

In many ways, ______ in Canada fulfill the public-policy research role played by political parties in European democracies.

A) lobbyists
B) interest groups
C) think tanks
D) judges

Question 50

Which of the following reflects the continued presence of the vertical mosaic in Canada?

A) many interest groups feel they need to engage in astroturfing
B) leaders of national interest groups often meet with first ministers
C) interest group leaders tend to be whiter than the general population
D) All of the above

Question 51

In a pluralist democracy, public policy is influenced by competing ideologies, interests, and pressures.

Question 52

Interest groups in Canada are in a constant struggle to attract media attention and generate public sympathy for their cause.

Question 53

Political parties have a more direct and substantive connection with many Canadians than do interest groups.

Question 54

There are more interest groups in Canada than there are registered political parties.

Question 55

All successful interest groups must have sizeable memberships or followerships; without such public support, the organization has no way of raising funds or influencing the policy process.

Question 56

Greenpeace Canada, the Canadian Labour Congress, and Equal Voice are all examples of institutionalized interest groups.

Question 57

Institutionalized interest groups tend to employ government outsiders as lobbyists because they provide unbiased perspectives on how to develop public policy.

Question 58

Some interest groups receive financial grants and contributions from the federal government to sustain their activities.

Question 59

The term "lobby" originated from the practice of waiting in the lobby of the legislature to intercept legislators and political staff in order to curry favours.

Question 60

The Government Relations Institute of Canada maintains a code of professional conduct for lobbyists.

Question 61

By definition, think tanks in Canada are non-ideological.

Question 62

Idle No More is an example of an institutionalized interest group in Canada.

Question 63

There is little room for average citizens in the work of most large and successful think tanks in Canada.

Question 64

In Canada, lobbying has become increasingly regulated and professionalized over time.

Question 65

Lobbying is less regulated in Canada today than it was in the 1960s.

Question 66

Activists representing businesses and organized labour tend to be better financed than activists representing other interests.

Question 67

The concept of the vertical mosaic suggests that power in Canada is structured hierarchically, with white, English-speaking men at the top.

Question 68

Interest groups prefer to run candidates in federal, but not provincial, elections.

Question 69

In pluralist democracies like Canada, social movements and interest groups are strictly competitive and seldom coordinate their efforts.

Question 70

Many Canadians have a more direct relationship with interest groups than they do with political parties.

Question 71

The Accountability Act made lobbying an illegal activity in Canada.

Question 72

In some jurisdictions across Canada, institutionalized interest groups, like business associations and unions, have a formalized role in the government's budget-building processes.

Question 73

There are no constitutional limits preventing governments from regulating lobbyists in Canada.

Question 74

Many of the strongest national interest groups are coalitions of smaller organizations.

Question 75

Interest groups that want to spark nationwide reforms often register to lobby in several jurisdictions.

Question 76

Intergovernmental relations officials would not consider their work to involve "lobbying" the federal government, although several provincial and territorial governments maintain offices in Ottawa.

Question 77

Litigation has been an effective tactic for interest groups across the political spectrum.

Question 78

Whereas interest groups hold societal transformation as their ultimate objective, social movements tend to focus on narrower policy goals.

Question 79

A recent trend in fake news involves the creation of authentic-looking videos known as deepfakes.

Question 80

Since losing its direct government funding earlier this century, the disability rights movement has functioned without a peak nationwide interest group to help advance its cause.